
Qass. 
Book. 



GOSPEL SONNETS, 

OR 

SPIRITUAL SONGS. 



IN SIX PARTS. 



I. The Believer's Espousals, f 4. The Believer's Lodging. 

5. The Believer's Soliloquy. 

6. The Believer's Principles. 



2. The Believer's Jointure. 

3. The Believer's Riddle. 



CONCERNING 



CREATION AND REDEMPTION, LAW AND GOSPEL, JUSTI- 
FICATION AND SANCTIFICATION, FAITH AND SENSE, 
HEAVEN AND HELL. 



BY THE LATE 

REV. MB RALPH ERSKINE, 

MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL AT DUNFERMLINE. 

Mira cana?7u sed vera canam. buck, psalm lxxvii. 

printed by j. ruthven and sons, 

FOR J. OGLE, EDINBURGH \ W. COKE, LEITH j M. OGLE, 

GLASGOW, AND R. OGLE, AND T. HAMILTON, 

LONDON. 

1812. 



*o4. 



12. 



"Western Ont. Univ. Library 



APR 3 ' 1940 



PREFACE BY THE PUBLISHER. 



TDOETICAL compositions, it will readily be ad- 

3 -*- mitted, are of a very ancient original ; and very 
early specimens of this kind of writing are yet to be 

h found on record, both in sacred * and profane history. 
— Writings in poesy have many peculiar excellencies 

1 in them, and particular advantages attending them : 
and when men, endued with poetical talents, employ 
them on subjects of real importance, the sparkling and 
flowery images, the magnificent and lofty expressions, 
and the striking figures and rhetorical embellishments, 
add such anative grandeur, dignity, andmajesty to the 
subject, that the mind is not only truly elevated, the 
attention gained, the affections moved, and devotion 
excited ; but the memory is gradually prepared to re- 
tain and be benefited by them, on account of the beau- 
tiful and elegant manner in which the various topics 
are elucidated. 

No subject is more interesting, or a fitter theme, 
for those vested with a poetical genius, than those 
of an evangelical nature , either directly founded upon 
some particular portion of sacred writ, or drawn from 
it by just and necessary consequence. No writings, 
for justness of sentiment and sublimity of stile, can e- 
qual or compare with those of divine inspiration :and 

. though the mysteries of Christianity, and the wonders 
of our holy religion, stand in no need of gay trimmings 
and poetical embellishments to set them off; yet such 
is the superior excellency of inspired poesy, that the 
brightest and most elevated descriptions of a mortal pen 
must vail to it : and therefore says a celebrated writer, 
•If any would attempt to be master of true eloquence, 

* See the Song of Moses at the Red Sea, Exodus xv, 1,-20. 
This Song is the most ancient and sublime piece o£ poetry in the 
world : the images are natural — the arrangement of its ideas is 
keautiful — and the strain of piety which breathes through the 
whole, is truty evangelical. 



[ ] 

< and aim at a proper elevation of stile, let him read, 

< with unremitting diligence, the ancient prophets, the 

* inspired evangelists and apostles; for their writings 
c are an abundant source of all the riches and orna- 

* ment of speech.' 

It hath been now a long and just complaint, that po- 
esy, which is of a divine original, should have been so 
much debased to the worst of purposes, in decorating 
vice and profaneness; and that men, endued with such 
a happy talent, should so much employ it in furnishing 
our theatrical entertainments, or upon ludicrous and 
profane trifles. How happy would it have been for the 
world, what an ornament to Christianity and advantage 
to the church ; and how honouring to themselves, as 
well as beneficial to the interests of religion, had they 
employed it on evangelical and divine subjects, in point- 
ing out the beauties of creation, the bounty of provi- 
dence, the depth of redeeming love and grace, and the 
excellency and sweetness of true religion and practi- 
cal godliness ! 

' The Rev. Mr Erskine, Author of the following 
Poems, was happy in employing his poetical talent to 
the best of purposes : the subjects he made choice of 
to handle, were of the utmost importance for mankind 
to know; his manner of treating them truly evangeli- 
cal ; and the spirit that breathes through them, heaven- 
ly and divine ; tending to warm the heart, excite to 
genuine devotion, and to inspire the mind with just 
and proper sentiments of God and true religion. 

The sentiments of Dr Bradbury, relative to our 
Author's poetical talent are very just. c Mr Erskine's 

< Poems f says he, i are greatly to be esteemed, for the 

* sweetness of the verse, the dispositionof the subjects, 
i the elegancy of the composition, and, above all, for 
f that which animates the whole, the sav our of divine 

< and experimental knowledge.'* 

* See his Preface to gome of Mr Erkine's Sermons, printed in 
London, in 1738. 



THE 

PREFACE TO THE READER. 



READER, 

WHATEVER apologies this book has former- 
ly been prefaced with, (as to the manner in 
which many lines in it are written,) shall be here al- 
together dropt and forborne. I now dismiss it as it is, 
under the conduct of divine Providence, to take its 
hazard in the world; since it has already served its 
apprenticeship under several impressions, and gone 
both through kind and hard usage, through good 
and bid report. It never promised much to thera 
that seek nothing but pleasure and satisfaction to their 
fancy ; but I have heard, that it has done some ser- 
vice (and I hope, through the blessing of Heaven, it 
may yet do more) to them that seek profit and edifi- 
cation to their souls. 

The late edition of this book at London being 
more full and complete than any that was formerly 
emitted, it is fit here to acquaint the reader, that this 
is printed exactly off jhe London copy, without any 
material addition or alteration, except in the third 
part of the booh, that comes under the name of Riddles, 
or Mysteries; and part sixths Chap, ii Sect, l.intitled, 
The believer's principles, concerning the mysteries of the 
law and gospel : both of which (because there were 
several demands in this country for a new edition) 
I thought fit to confirm by scripture-texts, cited at 
the bottom of the page, for the benefit of those that 
are weak in knowledge, and unacquainted with the 
scripture.* I have directed them by a letter of the 
alphabet, at every branch of the sentence that is 

* The scriptures in this edition are extended at full ltngth. 



11 PREFACE. 

either seemingly or really opposite to the other, unto 
some scripture texts, one or more, for evincing 
the truth thereof: by which means, the weakest, 
that is willing, may come to understand the mostdif- 
iicult paradox, or mystery, mentioned in this work; 
at least so far as to see, that every part of it is found- 
ed on the word of God, either directly or by plain 
and necessary consequence. Only this general rule 
is to he observed, namely, That the reader always 
consider what is the subject treated in every section 
or stanza ; and this, for the sake of the most illite- 
rate, I shall illustrate by two examples ; the one con- 
cerning the /awy the other concerning the believer. 
The former you see Part III. Sect. vi. ver. 25. p. 181. 

I'm not obliged to keep it more \ 
Yet more oblig'd than e'er before. 

Here you are to remark, that as the subject spoken 
of is the law, so the law in scripture is considered 
two ways, viz. both as a covenant ofivorks, and as a 
rule of duty. Now, that the believer is under no obli- 
gation to the law, as it is a covenant erf works, or to 
perform obedience to it as a ground of justification, 
(which is also the subject treated in that Section,) is 
confirmed in thefoot-notesby the following scriptures, 
to which you are directed by the letter (s) y Rom. vi. 
14. Gal. v. 1, 2, 3, 4. Where you may see believers 
are said to be 4c not under the law, but under grace ;" 
and exhorted to " stand fast in the liberty wherewith 
Christ hath made them free ;" and assured, " that 
Christ is become of no effect to them, whosoever of 
them are justified by the law ; they are fallen from 
grace." — Again, that the believer is under more obli- 
gation than ever, before he was justified, to yield 
obedience to the law as it is a rule of life, (which is 
the other branch of that paradox,) is confirmed by 
these following texts of scripture, to which you "are 
directed by the letter (t), Rom, vi. 1 ? 2, 15 where 



PREFACE. Ill 

it is said, u Shall we continue in sin, that grace may 
abound ? God forbid : how shall we that are dead to 
sin, live any longer therein ? What, then ? shall we 
sin, because we are not under the law, but under 
grace ? God forbid." — From which texts, together 
with their contexts, it is evident, that the believer's 
freedom from the law as a covenant, does not at all 
free him from obligation to it as a rule, but superadds 
to the natural obligation, that of grace, which both 
argumentatively and affectively teaches what the law 
does authoritatively and preceptively, namely, " to 
deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live sober- 
ly, righteously, and godly, in this present world, ,J Tit. 
ii. 11, 12. 

The other example I adduce, you may read, Part 
III. beet* ii. verse 47. where the words are, 

To good and evil equal bent, 
I'm both a devil and a saint. 

Here the reader may notice, that the subject spoken 
of is the believer, or the saint's old and new man 
described, (which is part of the title of that Section,) 
or considered as to his unregenerate and regenerate 
part; in which view he is frequently spoke of in scrip- 
ture ; ex. gr. 1 John iii. 6, 9. it is said of the believer, 
or the person born of God, that he sinneth tiot y and that- 
he cannot sin, because he is born of God: there he is spoken 
of as to his new nature, or regenerate part. But, 1 John 
i. 8. the words are, " If we say that we have no sin, 
we deceive ourselves, and t he-truth is not in us:'' where 
the apostle speaks of believers' unregenerate and cor* 
rupt part. Now, this being the scriptural representa- 
tion of the believer, the foresaid paradox is easily 
proven from scripture. 

The first branch is, That he is equally bent to good 
and to evil. For the proof of this, you are directed 
in the foot-note to Rom. vii. 21. where the apostle 
Paul, speaking both of his corrupt and renewed part,. 



IV PREFACE. 

says, " I find a law, that when I would do good, evil 
k present with me." And, if you read the preceding 
and following context, you will find him complaining 
how corruption bends him as far one way as grace 
another. 

The other part of trie same paradox is 3 that the be- 
liever is, on these accounts, both a devil and a saint. 
Now, that the believer is by nature and corruption a 
devil, is one branch of this postition here to be confirm- 
ed. That he is so by nature, is proven by the follow- 
ing scriptures in the forecited page at the bottom, 
John vi, 70. and viii. 4 4-. compared ; where Christ, 
speaking of some that were in a natural state, viz. of 
Judas and the Jews, discovers what is the state of all 
men by nature, *< that they are of their father the 
devil, since the iusts of their father they will do f* 
and therefore may be called devils, as our Lord calls 
Judas, saying, w I have chosen you twelve, and one 
of you is a devil." And such are believers also natu- 
rally, as dependents of the first Adam, being " chil- 
dren of disobedience, and children of wrath by nature, 
even as others/' Eph. ii. 2, 3. And that the believer 
is so, not only by nature, but also by reason of remain- 
ing corruption, is proven at the foot of the same page, 
from James iii. 15. where that apostle, speaking of 
strife and envy, that may be even among the children 
of God, (which indeed has too much taken place in 
all ages), savs," This wisdom descendeth not from a~ 
bove, but is earthly, sensual, devilish/ 1 Again, that 
though the believer be by nature and corruption a 
devil, yet he is, by grace and regeneration, a saint, is 
documented also, in the same page, from 1 Cor. vi, 
1 1. " Such were some of you, but ye are sanctified/ 7 

&c. 

In this manner, you may easily go over all the rest 
of the paradoxes, riddles, or mysteries, contained in 
this book, and find them evidently confirmed by the 
scriptures of truth, the word of God. This might be 



PREFACE". r 

ao unprofitable exercise, but tend to lead you into 
the true knowledge of the gospel, -to which mysteries 
are so essential* that it is designed by them, and call- 
ed the wisdom of God in a mystery ', 1 Cor. ii. 7 ; and the 
knowledge of which is so essential to Christianity, and 
so absolutely necessary to salvation, that the same 
apostle declares, that «« if our gospel be hid, it is /hid 
" to them that are lost ; in whom the god of this world 
" hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, 
" lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who 
4 < is the image of God, should shine unto them,*' 
2 Cor. vi. 3. 

Again, if you search the scriptures, you will see 
many more proofs for every point than 1 have addu- 
ced, and perhaps many much more apposite ; for these 
only are set down at the bottom of the page that first 
occurred to me : yet, I suppose, though sometimes 
but one, and sometimes more scriptures are pointed 
but, they are such as sufficiently confirm the positions 
they relate to. But that other scriptures might have 
been adduced in plenty, I shall give one instance, in 
the paradox now mentioned, viz. That every believer, 
while in this world, is both a devil and a saint. The 
latter clause is what none will deny, namely, That 
every true believer is a saint ; for further proof of 
which you might see Acts xv. 9. and xxvi. IS. &c. 
But because the first clause may seem more harsh, it 
may by scripture be also further evinced two ways : 
1st, In respect of the daily commission of sin he has 
to challenge himself with ^ for the scripture says*; Eccl. 
\ii. 20. " There is not a just man upon earth, that 
doth good and sinneth not.'' And with this compare 1 
John iii. 8. " He that committeth sin is of the devil," 
Hence it is plain, there is not a just man upon earth; 
but may, in respect of the commission of sin, be call- 
ed a devil. 

2d/y, In respect of prevalent temptations, by which 
he may be hurried into those things M that savour 
B3 



▼1 PREFACE. 

not of God, but of men ;" on which account Christ 
says to Peter, Matth. xvi. 23. " Get thee behind me, 
Satan." And if Christ calls Peter a devil, whom he 
had described as a saint of the first magnitude, verse 
17. one divinely blessed and enlightened-, what 
occasion may every believer have to call himself a 
devil ! Yea, it is a part of his faith and sanctity, to see 
and acknowledge, with shame before the Lord, his 
own devilish and desperately wicked heart and na- 
ture ; which a blind, self-conceited world, are igno- 
rant of, being neither acquainted with themselves, nor 
with God and his word. However, so it is, that the 
more any shall search the scripture, the more* 1 hope, 
will they discern, not only by the texts I have quoted, 
but from many others also, the truth and evidence 
of every part of this book, however mysterious some 
passages of it may seem to many. 

Though some of these lines may want the politeness 
that can please the curious age, yet, while they stand 
firm upon a scriptural foundation, none of them want 
authority, and that of the highest nature, except in the 
account of mockers, and those (of whom there are too 
many in our day) that are either Deists, who underva- 
lue the scripture, or Atheists, who deride it : and it is 
sadly to be regretted, that those people are hardened 
in their wicked principles and practices, by some that 
perhaps have a higher profession. For I have seen two 
prints, one called the Groan, and another the Laugh, 
wherein some lines, picked out among others, have 
been exposed to ridicule : but however such gentle- 
men may laugh at their own sport, and wickedly 
divert themselves with serious matters for a time, I 
fear their laughing will issue in weeping for ever ; if 
God, by giving them repentance, do not make them 
groan to purpose, for the evidence they thus give of 
either their grievous ignorance of the scripture, or 
their grosss profanity, and of their readiness to yield 
themselves instruments of the devil, to promote the 



PREFACE. Vli 

Atheistical spirit of the age, which is bent enough, 
without any such provocations, to laugh at every thing 
serious, sacred, and scriptural. This is so palpable, 
without my observation upon it, and so self-evident 
to all that fear God, and have had the patience to 
read such prints, that I would not have thought 
them worth my noticing so far, as to make this bare 
mention of them, had not Providence put the pen in 
my hand to preface this edition, wherein scriptural 
proofs are added to that part of the book. 

Reader, It gives me satisfaction enough to under- 
stand, that this book has already been useful and edi- 
fying to some, however it is entertained by others. 
The gospel itself is to some the savour of life, to 
others the savour of death ; to some wisdom, to others 
foolishness ; to some matter of faith, love, and comfort, 
to others matter of mockery and scorn. I shall be 
far from thinking it any discredit or disparagement 
to this book, if it meet with the like entertainment. 
-—May the Lord of heaven and earth, who over-rules 
all things, accompany it, in its journies abroad or at 
home, with his blessing to many souls, and to his 
care I commend it, in the words of a famous Scots 
poet^upon Psalm xxxv. 1. 

Rcrum sancte Opifex, sdes, 
Et patrocinio protege me tuo. 

Which may be adapted to the matter in hand thus \ 

The truth which hell may criticise, 
Great God, be near to patronize. 



A 

POEM, 

DEDICATED TO THE REV. MR RALPH ERSKINE^ 

BY 

A LADY IN NEW-ENGLANDy 

UPON 

READING HIS GOSPEL SONNETS. 



TpRSKINE, thou blessed herald, sound, 
J" Till sin's black empire totter to the ground : 
Well hast thou Sinai's awful flames display'd, 
And rebels' doom before their conscience laid : 
From sin, from self, from trust in duty fly, 
Commit thy naked soul to Christ, or die. 
Go on and prosper in the name of God, 
Seraphic preacher, through the thorny road ; 
The gracious Christ thy labours will reward ; 
His angel-bands be thy perpetual guard ; 
Though hell's dark regions at the present hiss, 
The God of glory thy strong refuge is. . 
Mere moral preachers have no pow'r to charm, 
Thy lines are such may nobler passions warm y 
These glorious truths have set my heart on fire,. 
And while I read, I'm love and pure desire. 
May the black train of errors hatch'd in hell 
No longer on this globe in quiet dwell ; 
May more like you be rais'd to shew their shame, 
And call them by their diabolic name. 
Exalt the Lamb in lovely white and red, 
Angels and saints his lasting honours spread ; 
My trembling soul shall bear her feeble part, 
'Tis he hath charm'd my soul, and won my heart. 
Bless'd be the Father for electing love, 
Bless'd be the Son who do~s my guilt remove, 
Bless'd be the Dove who does his grace apply, 
Oh ! may I praising live> and praising die I 



SOME ACCOUNT 



CF THE 



KEY. MR RALPH .EBSKINE. 



— *«2=>#a©i^3Hea€ws^-" 



npHE Rev. Mr Ralph Erskine was honourably 
-*■ descended of very respectable ancestors •, his 
father, the Rev. Mr Henry Erskine, being one of 
the thirty-three children of Ralph Erskine of Shef- 
field, a family of considerable repute and standing in 
the county of Merse, and originally descended from 
theVancient house of Mar. Our Author, and his 
brother, the Rev. Mr Ebenezer Erskine, late Minis- 
ter of the gospel at Stirling, were two of the children 
of the said Rev. IVir Henry Erskine, who was some 
time Minister of the gospel at Cornwall, afterwards 
at Chirnside ;* a man eminent in his day, and just- 
ly distinguished for his piety and firm attachment to 
Presbyterian principles : For his stedfast adherence to 
which, he was subjected to many considerable hard- 
ships in the latter part of the last century, during the 
persecuting period of Charles II. and James VII. f 

The Author of the following Poems was born at 
Monilaws, in the county of Northumberland, on Sab- 
bath the 15th of March, 1685, at three o'clock in 

* Cor nival/ i* \n the .shire of Northumberland ; Chirnside lies 
about five miles from Berwick upon Tweed, in the Scots side. 

\ See the continuation of CaLmy's Life of Baxter, p. 6S1, 



x Some Account of 

the afternoon ; and baptized at Chirnside on the 5th 
of April said year, by the Rev. Mr William Violand. 
-He gave pretty early proofs of a great genius and 
fine fancy % and several instances of a pious disposition 
and a solid way of reflecting on matters. On this 
account he was, by his parents, early destined for the 
holy ministry, who resolved to give him a regular 
and liberal education, in order to qualify him for that 
important office. 

When he had acquired a competent measure of 
Grammar, and other introductory parts of education, 
he went to the university of Edinburgh, to complete 
his studies ; where he went through the ordinary 
courses of Philosophy and Divinity with success; and 
made a considerable progress in the branches of lite- 
rature : for he soon became a fine Grecian, an ex* 
cellent Logician, and an accomplished Philosopher. 
But after having acquired such a competent measure 
of knowledge, in these various branches of erudition, 
he gave himself up to the study of Theology, his 
darling and beloved topic ; in which he made great 
progress, as his productions therein do abundantly 
evince. 

The ordinary course of philosophical and theologi- 
cal studies being gone through, at the college of Edin- 
burgh, with success, he was, ipj the providence of 
God, called forth to appear in a public character \ 
and being well reported of, by all who knew him, 
for a conversation becoming the gospel, he was ac- 
cordingly taken upon trials by the Presbytery of 
Dunfermline : and having finished the usual pier 
of trial assigned him, to the entire satisfaction • c • 
Presbytery, he was by them licensed to preaclv 
probationer, the everlasting gospel, on the 8th 
June 1709 ; in which capacity, he exercised the .n- 
lents which the Lord had graciously conferred 
him, within the bounds of the said Presbytery, both 



The Rev. Mr R. Erskine. xi 

in vacancies and settled congregations, to the great 
satisfaction of his hearers, both ministers and people, 
as his certificate from that Presbytery, dated April 
4th, 1711, expressly bears. — In this station of life he 
did not long remain : Providence soon opened a door 
for him : and he got an unanimous call, from the 
parishioners of Dunfermline, on the 1 st of May 1711, 
to exercise his ministerial talents and abilities amongst 
them ; which call was approven of by the Presbytery, 
on the day following, as regularly proceeded in. He 
•went through the usual pieces of trial, for ordination, 
prescribed by the Presbytery, with approbation : and 
thereupon they set him apart to the office of the holy 
ministry, in the collegiate charge of Dunfermline, on 
August 7, 1711. 

Under the character of a minister of the gospel, 
having now a pastoral relation to a particular flock, 
in the church universal, he " determined not to know 
any thing, save Jesus Christ and him crucified." He 
was M instant in season and out of season," in all parts 
of hi« ministerial labours, and gave himself wholly 
thereunto ; exhorting the people under his trust, 
from house to house, in the way of family visitation; 
examining them more publicljj upon the principles 
of our holy religion \ visiting the sick when called > 
and preaching the everlasting gospel, in which he 
had a very pleasing and edifying gift. Ke preached, 
by turns, with his colleague, every Sabbath and 
Thursday, through the year : and afterwards, when 
he had none, for several years before his death, he 
officiated alone, very punctually, both on Sabbath 
and week-day. 

TT e delivered few extemporary productions* His 
:9*s were generally the fruit of diligent study, 
.fssiduous application. For the most part he 

bte all ; and kept very close by his notes in the 

'very, except when the Lord was pleased to carry 



xii Some Account gj 

in upon his mind, in time of preaching, some pat and 
apposite enlargements, whereof he had no previous 
study, and to which he nevertheless chearfully gave 
way, as coming from him, who has the tongue of the 
learned , who knows how to speak a word in season to 
him that is weary ; and who says, " It shall be given 
" you the same hour what ye shall speak ; for it is 
<4 not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father 
" that speaketh in you.*'— He was blessed with a 
rich and fertile invention, as appears in the agreeable 
and entertaining diversity, wherewith his heads of 
doctrine are every where adorned. The poetical 
genius, with which he was happily endowed, contri- 
buted not a little to the embellishment of his dis- 
courses, with a variety of pertinent epithets and 
striking metaphors. 

His gift of preaching was both instructing and 
searching. Few outshone him in the nervous and 
convincing manner whereby he confirmed the truth 
of the doctrines he insisted on; and fewer still in the 
warm and pathetic address in which he enforced the 
practice of them. 

He peculiarljtexcelled in the ample and free offers of 
Christ he made to his fearers; and the captivating and 
alluring methods he used, for gaining their compliance, 
or their receiving and resting on Christ alone for their 
salvation, as thus freely and fully exhibited unto them 
in the gospel. On all which accounts he was justly es- 
teemed, and much followed, as one of the most po- 
pular and edifying preachers of his day. — During his 
time, sacramental solemnities at Dunfermline were 
very much crowded; numbers of people, from several 
parts of the kingdom, resorting unto them : and the 
Lord was pleased to countenance some of these com- 
munions, with signal evidences of his gracious pre- 
sence and influence, to the sweet and comfortable ex- 
perience of many. 



The Rev. Mr Ralph Erskine. xii* 

It will easily appear to the judicious and experien- 
ced reader, in perusing his writings, that he had as 
dexterous a faculty in ransacking the plagues of the 
heart, and describing the diversified circumstances of 
serious and exercised souls, as if they had fully com- 
municated their several doubts and cases unto him; 
while, in the mean time, he was only unfolding the 
inward experience of his own soul, what he himself 
felt of the workings of unbelief, and of the powerful 
influence of the Holy Spirit, in opposition thereunto 5 
which could not but quadrate, or. agree, with the 
operations of the self-same Spirit of God in others ; 
for, « as in water face answereth to face* so doth the 
heart of man to man." 

This eminent servant of Jesus Christ, being exerci- 
sed to godliness from his youth, became, by the grace 
of God, a "scribe instructed into the kingdom of hea- 
ven," whom our Lord compares to M an householder, 
which bringeth forth out of his treasury things new 
and old" Old invariable truths, but new illustrations 
of them ; old experiences, the same with other saints 
before, but new observations and improvements upon 
them : so that, with abundance of propriety, it may 
be said, that there are few perplexing doubts, or in- 
tricate cases, which the saints have, at any time, been 
exercised with, that are not in some one or other 
of his sermons, very judiciously solved, and distinctly 
elucidated or cleared up. 

During our Author's life-time, and at the importu- 
nity of many of his acquaintances, both ministers and 
people, he published a great number of his sermons, 
on the most interesting subjects, which were well re- 
lished by the truly godly, and had their praises in 
the churches of Christ, both at home and abroad. 
These, with several others, transcribed from his notes, 
were first collected together after his death, and pub- 
lished along with his poems, in two large volumes in 
B 



xiv Some Account of 

folio, in the years 1764 and 1765, printed in an elegant 
manner; and, since that time, re-printed in ten large 
volumes octavo, for the more conveniency of readers 
and purchasers, with considerable additions and 
amendments — We cannot dismiss this account of our 
Author, without taking notice of another particular 
concerning him, which constitutes a very material 
branch of his character. He was not only deservedly 
esteemed as a judicious Divine, but also much respect- 
ed as a poet : and he hath favoured the world with 
several excellent productions of that nature, which 
have all met with a very favourable reception. His 
poetical talent was employed chiefly on divine subjects; 
he had no relish and taste for any other. In his 
younger years, at his leisure hours, he composed the 
following piece, which is now intituled gospel son- 
nets; or, spiritual songs, in Six Parts. The use- 
fulness of this poetical compend of the revealed prin- 
ciples of our holy religion, for promoting the life of 
faith, comfort, and holiness, will be experienced, it 
is hoped, by many of the stints of God, to the latest 
posterity. — This piece was so well relished, that it 
hath undergone a multitude of impressions ; and the 
demand for it is as great as ever. 

About the year 1758, he emitted into the world 
his poetical paraphrase upon the whole book of the 
Song of Solomon ; which indeed is an evangelical com- 
ment, done in a strain adapted to the New Testament 
dispensation, upon that allegorical or figurative part 
of holy writ. — This performance has likewise been 
very acceptable, and has undergone a variety of edi- 
tions. 

By emitting the above poetical essays into the world, 
and some smaller performances, our Author's abilities 
as a poet came to be known ; and induced the Reve- 
rend Synod of which he was a member, repeatedly to 
importune him, to employ some of his vacant hours,in 



The Rev. Mr Ralph Ershne. xv 

fuming all the poetical passages of sacred writ into 
common metre, of the same kind with the Psalms of 
David. These recommendations he at last complied 
with *, and his productions made their appear- 
ance, under the title of Scripture Songs, selected from 
several passages in the Old Testament, which were 
well relished, and have now undergone several edi- 
tions. 

Our Author, besides his sermons and poems, 
published several tracts, on some points of controver- 
sy, in which he displayed his abilities as a writer : 
particularly an elaborate treatise, intituled, Faith no 
Fancy ; or j A Treatise of Mental linages : a book sin- 
gular iy valuable, for the clear and perspicuous man- 
ner in which he hath handled and established this 
important point, every way worthy of our Author, 
and which reflected the highest honour upon him •, 
in regard it hath given the greatest display of his abi- 
lities, both as a divine and philosopher, and how ca- 
pable he was to exhaust any point, .when he set him- 
self to it, even in an abstract way of reasoning: a book 
that effectually silenced all his opponents, and stands 
to this day unanswered. 

This faithful and laborious servant of Jesus Christ, 
lajpoured successfully in the work of the ministry, and 
continued publicly useful in his Master's work, till 
within a few days of his departure ; for he preached 
in his own pulpit on Sabbath the 29th of October, 
1752, and he was thereafter seized, in the end of the 
same month, viz. October 1752, with a nervous 
fever, ( wherein, nevertheless he enjoyed the exercise 
of his judgment and senses,) which lasted only for 
a few days, and at last was the happy messenger of 
freeing him from the incumbrances of an embodied 
state, and leading him to the world of spirits, and 
the regions of eternal bliss and felicity ; for, on the 
eighth day of the fever, he fell asleep in the Lord K 



xvi .Some Account of 

being Monday Nov. 6th, 1752, in the 63th year of 
his age, after labouring un we ariedly and successfully in 
the work of the ministry, among his flock in Dun- 
fermline, for the space of forty-two years. Mr Er- 
skine, our worthy Author, affords room for large 
commendations, were we disposed to give them \ — 
his complete character is truly great, and his disposi- 
tion exceedingly amiable. — If he is considered as te 
his natural endowments, he possessed many fine quali- 
ties ; he had a sweet temper, a clear head, a rich in- 
vention, a lively imagination, and a great memory. — 
if he is viewed as to his acquired abilities ; he was 
well acquainted with all the useful branches of liter- 
ature, necessary to adorn the scholar and the minister. 
—If he is considered as to his office -, he was a great 
and judicious divine, a pious evangelical preacher, 
and an able casuist. In short, he was not only a learn- 
ed man, and an able divine, but an affectionate and 
familiar friend, a social companion, 3 devout Chris- 
tian, and a burning and shining light. 

By his death, the church of Christ lost a great light, 
a heroic champion for the truth, and a bold contender 
for the faith once delivered unto the saints. — -The 
body he was last connected with, have been deprived 
of an useful member, and a shining ornament to their 
cause. — -The congregation he laboured among lost an 
able, faithful minister, a laborious and successful 
wrestler, and a painful and diligent instructor. — His 
family and relatives lost a true friend, an affectionate 
husband, a tender-hearted parent, and a striking pat- 
tern of virtue — His acquaintance and intimates, an 
endearing brother, a social companion, and an engag- 
ing friend. 

Mr Erskine was twice married. His first marri- 
age was with Margaret Dewar, a daughter of the 
Laird of Lassodie ; which commenced the 15th of 
July 1714. She Jived about sixteen years ; during 



The Rev. Mr Ralph Er shine. xi 

which time she bore ten children, five sons and five 
daughters : three of these sons were ministers in the 
Association, viz. the Rev. Messrs Henry, John, and 
James \ the first ordained Minister at Falkirk, the 
second at Leslie, and the third at Stirling. All of 
them died in the prime of life, when they had given 
the world just ground to conceive high expectations 
of their usefulness in the church. — His second mar- 
riage was with Margaret Simpson, a daughter of Mr 
Simpson, writer to the signet at Edinburgh, which 
took place, February 24th 1732. She bore him four 
sons, and survived himself some few years. 



&: 



An ACROSTIC. 

M UCH fam'd on earth, renown'd for piety ; 
A midst bright seraphs now sings cheerfully. 
S acred thine anthems yield much pleasure here ; 
T hese songs of thine do truly charm the ear *. 
E ach line thou wrot'st doth admiration raise ; 
R ouse up the soul to true seraphic praise. 



R eligiously thy life below was spent : 

A mazing pleasures now thy soul content 

L ong didst thou labour in the church below : 

P ©inting out Christ, the Lamb, who saves from wo ; 

H eav'n's blessedness on sinners to bestow, 



>mwo, > 



E rskine the great ! whose pen spread far abroad 

R edeeming love, the sole device of God ; 

S ubstantial themes thy thoughts did much pursue •, 

K ept pure the truth, espous'd but by a few. 

I ntegrity of heart, of soul serene ; 1 

N o friend to vice, no cloak to the profane : > 

E mploy'd thy talents to reclaim the vain. 3 



Alluding to his poetical pieces. 



CONTENTS. 

Part I. — The Believer's Espousals. 
Preface, ---------., Page 25 

/^HAP. I. A general account of man's fall in Adam, 
and the remedy provided in Christ ; and a particu- 
lar account of man's being naturally wedded to the 
law as a covenant of works, ------ 26 

Sect. 1. The fall of Adam, 26. Sect. 2. Redemp- 
tion through Christ, 27. Sect. 3. Man's legal disposi- 
tion, 30. Sect. 4. Man's strict attachment to legal 
terms, or to the law as a condition of life, 31. Sect, 5. 
Man's vain attempt to seek life by Christ's righteous- 
ness joined with their own, and legal hopes natural to all, 33 

Chap II. The manner of a sinner's divorce from the law 
in a work of humiliation, and of his marriage to the 
Lord Jesus Christ $ or, The way how a sinner comes 
to be a believer, --------- 37 

Sect. 1. Of a law-work, and the workings of legal 
fvide under it, 37* Sect. 2. Conviction of sin and wrath 
carried on more deeply and effectually on the heart, 
40. Sect. 3. The deeply humbled soul relieved with 
some saving discoveries of Christ the Redeemer, 43. 
Sect. 4. The workings of the Spirit of faith, in separa- 
ting the heart from all self-righteousness, and drawing 
out its consent to, and desire after Christ alone and 
wholly, 45. Sect. 5. Faith's view of the freedom of 
grace, cordial renunciation of all its own ragged righ- 
teousness, and formal acceptance of and closing with 
the person of glorious Christ, - - 48 

Chap III. The fruits of the believer's marriage with 
Christ, particularly gospel-holiness, and obedience to 
the law as a rule, - - * 51 

Sect 1. The sweet solemnity of the marriage now o- 
ver, and the sad effects of the remains of a legal spirit, 
52. Sect, 2. Faith's victories over 6in and Satan, 
through new and further discoveries of Christ, making 



xx TABLE. 

believers more fruitful in holiness, than all other pre- 
tenders to works, 53. Sect. 3. True saving faith mag- 
nifying the law, both as a covenant and rule. False- 
faith unfruitful and ruining, 53. Sect. 4. The be- 
liever only being married to Christ, is justified and 
sanctified •, and the more gospel-freedom from the law 
as a covenant, the more holy conformity to it as a rule, 
53. Sect. 5. Gospel- grace .giving no liberty to sin, 
but to holy service and pure obedience,. - - - - 6 1 

Chap IV* A caution to all against a legal spirit, espe- 
cially to those that have a profession without power, 
and learning without grace, - - - - - - 62 1 

Chap. V. Arguments and encouragements to gospel-mi- 
nisters to avoid a legal strain of doctrine, and endea- 
vour the sinner's match with Christ by gospel means, 65' 

Sect. 1. A legal spirit the root of damnable errors, 65, 
Sect. 2. A legal strain of doctrine discovered and dis- 
carded, 67. Sect. 3. The hurtfulness of not preaching 
Christ, and distinguishing duly between law and gos- 
pel, 68. Sect. 4. Damnable pride and self-righteous- 
ness, so natural to all men, has little need to be en- 
couraged by legal preaching, 70. Sect. 5. The gospel 
of divine grace the only means of converting sinners ; 
and it should therefore be preached most clearly, fully, 
and freely, - - - - » x - - 73 

Chap VI. An exhortation to all that are out of Christ, 
in order to their closing the match with him , con- 
taining also motives and directions, - - - - 77 

Sect 1. Conviction offered to sinners, especially such 
as are wedded to the law, or self-righteous j that they 
may see their need of Christ's righteousness, ib. Sect. 2, 
Direction given with reference to the right use of the 
means, that we rest not on these instead of Christ, the 
glorious Husband, in whom alone our help lies, 80. 
Seet. 3, A call to believe in Jesus Christ, with some 
hints at the act and object of faith, 84. Sect. 4. An 
advice to sinners to apply to the sovereign mercy of 
God, as it is discovered through Christ, to the highest 



TABLE. xxi 

honour of justice, and other divine attributes, in order 
to further their faith in him unto salvation, 86. Sect. 5. 
The terrible doom of unbelievers that reject the gos- 
pel match, the offered Saviour and salvation, - - 90 

PART II.— The Believer's Jointure. 

Chap. I. Containing the Privileges of the Believer that 
is espoused to Christ by Faith of Divine operation, Q6 

Sect. 1 . The believer's perfect beauty, free accept- 
ance, and full security, through the imputation of 
Christ's perfect righteousness, though imparted grace 
be imperfect, 96. Sect. 2. Christ the believer's friend, 
prophet, priest, king, defence, guide, guard, help, and 
healer, 98. Sect. 3. Christ the believer's wonderful 
physician and wealthy friend, 100. Sect. 4. The be- 
liever's safety under the covert of Christ's atoning blood 
and powerful intercession, 102. Sect. 5. The belie- 
ver's faith and hope encouraged, even in the darkest 
nights of desertion and distress, 105. Sect. 6. Benefits 
accruing to believers, from the offices, names, natures, 
and sufferings of Christ, 107. Sect. 7- Christ's suffer- 
ings further improved, and believers called to live by 
faith, both when they have and want sensible influences, 
] 09. Sect. 8. Christ the believer's enriching treasure, 

111. Sect. 9» Christ the believer's adorning garment, 

112. Sect. 10. Christ the believer's sweet nourish- 
ment, --- ■-■•'--. 113 

Chap. II. Containing Marks and Characters of Be- 
lievers in Christ, together with some further Pri- 
vileges and Grounds of Comfort to Saints, - - 114 

Sect. 1. Doubting believers called to examine them- 
selves by marks drawn from their love to him and his 
presence, their view of his glory, and their being emp- 
tied of self-righteousness, &c. 114. Sect. 2. Believers 
described from their faith acting by divine aid, and 
fleeing quite out of themselves to Jesus Christ, 117. 
Sect. 3. Believers characterised by the objects and 
purity of their desires, delight, joy, hatred, and love, 
discovering they have the spirit of Christ, 119. Sect. 4. 
Believers in Christ affect his counsel, word, ordinan- 



xxii TABLE. 

ces, appearance, full enioy merit in heaven, and sweet 
presence here, 121. Sect. 5. The true believer's hu- 
mility, dependence, zeal, growth,. admiration of free 
grace, and knowledge of Christ's voice, 123. Sect. 6. 
True believers are willing to be tried and examined. 
Also, comforts arising to them from Christ's ready sup- 
ply, real sympathy, and relieving names suiting their 
need, 125. Sect. 7« The believer's experience of 

■ Christ's comfortable presence, or of former comforts, to 
be improved for his encouragement and support under 

'hidings, 128. Sect. 8. Comfort to believers from the 
stability of the promise, notwithstanding heavy chas- 
tisements for sin, 131. Sect. 9. Comfort to believers 
from Christ's relations, his dying love, his glory in 
heaven, to which he will lead them thro' death, and 
supply them with all necessaries by the way, 133. 
Sect. 10. Comfort to believers from the text,.' Thy 
Maker is thy Husband,' inverted thus, 'Thy 'Husband 
is thy Maker ; and the conclusion of this subject, 135 

PART III.— The Believer's Riddle $ or, The 
Mystery of Faith. 

The Preface, shewing the use and design of the Rid- 
dle, and how all fatal errors proceed from ignorance 
of such mysteries, --.--.---. 1 33 

Sect. L The mystery of the saint's pedigree, and 
especially of their relation to Christ's wonderful per- 
son, 142. Sect. 2. The mystery of the saints' life, 
state, and frame, 149. Sect. 3. Mysteries >about 
the saints' work and warfare, sins, sorrows, and joys, 
1 56. Sect. 4. Mysteries in faith's extractions, way and 
walk, prayers and answers, heights and depths, fear and 
love, 161. Sect. 5. Mysteries about flesh and spirit^ 
liberty and bondage, and life and death, 171 . Sect, 6. 
The mystery of free justification through Christ's obe- 
dience and satisfaction, 17 7. Sect. 7- The mystery of 
God the justifier ; and faith justifying him, both in his 
justifying and condemning *, or soul justification and 
self-condemnation, 185. Sect. 8. The mysrery of 
snnctification imperfect in this life •, or, the believer 
doing all, and doing nothing. Sect. 9. The mystery 



TABLE. xxiii 

of various names given to saints j or, The flesh and 
spirit described from inanimate things, vegetables, and 
sensitives, 195. Sect. 10. The mystery of the saints' 
old and new man further described, and the means of 
their spiritual life, 200. Sect. 1 J . The mystery of 
Christ, his names, natures, and offices, 207. Sect. 12. 
The mystery of the believer's mixed state further en- 
larged, and his getting good out of evil, 213. Sect. IS. 
The mystery of the saints' adversaries and adversities, 
218. Sect 14. The mystery of the believer's pardon 
and security from revenging wrath, notwithstanding his 
sin's desert, 223. Sect. 15. The mystery of faith and 
sight, 280. Sect. 16. The mystery of faith and works, 
233. — And of rewards of grace and debt, 237. The 
conclusion, ------240 

PART IV.— The Believer's Lodging. 

A Paraphrase upon Psalm Ixxxiv. 241. Exercise 
for the believer in his lodging, fourfold, 248. 1. The 
holy law *, or, The ten commandments, ib. 2. The 
unholy heart the reverse of God's law, ib. 3. The 
glorious gospel of Christ the remedy, 249. 4. The 
prayer of faith exemplified, 249 

PART V.— ^-The Believer's Soliloquy; especial- 
ly IX TIMES OF DESERTION, TEMPTATION, AFFLIC- 
TION, &C. --- - - - 250 

Sect. 1. The deserted believer longing for perfect 
freedom from sin, ib. Sect. 2. The deserted believer's 
prayer under complaints of unbelief, darkness, dead- 
ness, and hardness, 253. Sect. 3. The believer wa- 
ding through depths of desertion and corruption, 255. 
Sect. 4. The believer's complaint of sin, sorrow T , and 
want of love, 257. Sect. 5. The deserted soul's pray- 
er for the Lord's gracious and sin-subduing presence, 
259. Sect. 6. The song of heaven desired by saints 
en earth, - 261 

PART VI.— The Believer's Principles. 

Chap. I. Concerning Creation and Redemption j or, 
some of the first principles of the oracles of God, 264 
Sect. I. Of creation. The first chapter of Genesis 

compendized, ib. The sum of creation, 266. Sect. 2. 



xxiv T A E L E. 

Of redemption. The mystery of the Redeemer's in - 
carnation, or God manifested in the flesh, the sum of re- 
demption, 267. Sect. 3. The Redeemer's works \ or 
Christ all in all, and our complete redemption. A 
gospel catechism for young Christians, ib. Sect. 4. 
Faith and works both excluded from the matter of jus- 
tification before God, that redemption may appear to 
be only in Christ, - - 272 

Chap. II. Concerning the law and the gospel, - 275 

Sect. 1. The mystery of law and gospel, ib. Sect. 2. 
The difference between the law and the gospel, 288. 
Sect. 3. The harmony between the law and the gospel, 
292. Sect. 4. The proper place and station of the law 
and the gospel, in four paragraphs. 295. Paragraph 
1 . The place and station of law and gospel in gener- 
al, ib. Parag. 2. The place and station of law and gos- 
pel in particular, 297. Parag. 3. The gospel no new 
law, but a joyful sound of grace and mercy, SOI. 
Parag. 4. The gospel further described, as a bundle of 
good news and gracious promises, ----- 304 

Chap. III. Concerning Justification and Sanctification, 
their difference and harmony, - - - - - 306 

Sect. 1. The difference between justification and 
sanctification, or righteousness imputed, and grace im- 
parted, in upwards of thirty particulars, ib. Sect. 2. 
The harmony between justification and sanctification, 311 

Chap. IV. Concerning Faith and Sense, - - - 314 

Sect. 1 . Faith and sense natural compared and dis- 
tinguished, ib. Sect. 2. Faith and sense spiritual com- 
pared and distinguished, 316. Sect. 3. The harmony 
and discord between faith and sense, 319* Sect. 4. 
The valour and victories of faith, 320. Sect. 5. The 
heights and depths of sense, 322. Sect. 6. Faith and 
frames compared, or faith building upon sense discov- 
ered, - - 323 

Chap. V. Concerning Heaven and earth, - - - 326 

Sect. 1. The work and contention of heaven, ib. 
Sect. 2. Earth despicable, heaven desirable, - - 329 



GOSPEL SONNETS- 



part i. 



THE BELIEVER'S ESPOUSALS, 

A PO EM, 

On Isaiah liv. 5. Thy Maker is thy Husband. 



PREFACE. 

HARK, dying mortal, if the Sonnet prove 
A song of living and immortal love, 
'Tis then thy grand concern the theme to know, 
If life and immortality be so. 
Are eyes to read, or ears to hear a trust ? 
Shall both in death be cramm'd anon with dust ? 
Then trifle not to please thine ear and eye, 
But read thou, hear thou, for eternity. 
Pursue not shadows wing'd, but be thy chase 
The God of glory, on the field of grace : 
The mighty hunter's name is lost and vain, 
That runs not this substantial prize to gain. 
These humble lines assume no high pretence, 
To please thy fancy, or allure thy sense ; 
But aim, if everlasting life's thy chase, 
To clear thy mind, and warm thy heart thro' grace. 

A marriage so mysterious I proclaim, 
Betwixt two parties of such different fame, 
That human tongues may blush their names to tell, 
To wit, the Prince of Heaven , the heir of hell ! 
But, on so vast a subject who can find 
Words suiting the conceptions of his mind ? 
Or, if our language with our thought could vie, 
"What mortal thought can raise itself so high ? 
When words & thoughts both fail, may faith & prayer 
Ascend, by climbing up the scripture-stair : 
From sacred writ these strong Espousals may 
Be explicated in the following way. 
C 



26 GOSPEL SONNETS. Part. I. 

CHAP. I. 

A general account of Man's fall in Adam, and 
the remedy provided in Christ : and a par- 
ticular account of Man's being naturally 
wedded to the Law, as a covenant of works. 

SECT. I— The Fall of Adam. 

^\LD Adam once a heav'n of pleasure found, 
^-^ While he with perfect innocence was crown'd \ 
His wing'd affections to his God could move 
In raptures of desire, and strains of love. 
Man, standing spotless, pure, and innocent, 
Could well the law of works with works content .; 
Though then, (nor since,) it could demand no less 
Than personal and perfect righteousness: 
These, unto sinless man were easy terms, 
Though now beyond the reach of wither'd arms } 
The legal cov'nant then upon the field 
Perfection sought, man could perfection yield. 
Rich had he, and his progeny, remain'd, 
Had he primeval innocence maintain'd : 
His life had been a rest without annoy, 
A scene of bliss, a paradise of joy. 
But subtile Satan, in the serpent hid, 
Proposing fair the fruit that God forbid, 
Man, soon seduc'd by hell's alluring art, 
Did, disobedient, from the rule depart ; 
Devour'd the bait, and, by his bold offence, 
Fell from his blisful state of innocence*. 
Prostrate, he lost his God, his life, his crown, 
From all his glory tumbled headlong down : 
Plung'd in a deep abyss of sin and wo, 
Where, void of heart to will, or hand to do, 

* Gen. iii. 1—6, 



Chap. I. THE believer's esfousals. 27- 

For's own relief he can't command a thought, 

The total sum of what he can is nought. 

He's able only now t' increase his thrall ; 

He can destroy himself, and this is all. 

But can the hellish brat Heav'n's law fulfil> 

"Whose precepts high surmount his strength and skill? 

Can filthy dross produce a golden beam ? 

Or poisoned springs a salutif'rous stream ? 

Can carnal minds, fierce enmity's wide maw, 

Be duly subject to the divine law ? 

Nay, now its direful threat' ni tigs must take place 

On all the disobedient human race, 

Who do by guilt Omnipotence provoke, 

Obnoxious stand to his uplifted stroke. 

They must ingulph themselves in endless woes, 

Who to the living God are deadly foes ; 

Who natively his holy will gainsay, 

Must to his awful justice fall a prey. 

In vain do mankind now expect, in vain 

By legal deeds immortal life to gain : 

Nay, death is threaten'd, threats must have their due. 

Or souls that sin must die,* as God is true. 

SECT. II. — Redemption through Christ. 

FB1HE second Adam, sov'reign Lord of all, 
-"- Did, by his Father's authorising call, 
From bosom of eternal love dsecend, 
To save the guilty race that him offend ; 
To treat an everlasting peace with those 
Who were and ever would have been his foes. 
His errand, never-ending life to give 
To them, whose malice would not let him live; 
To make a match with rebels, and espouse 
The brat which at his love her spite avows. 
Himself he humbler! to d©proeo Kov pride, 
And make his mortal foe his loving bride, 
* Ez^k.xviiL 4. 



'28 GOSPEL son-nets. Part I. 

But, ere the marriage can be solemniz'd, 

All lets must.be remov'd, all parties pleas'd. - 

Law-righteousness required, must be procur'd, 

Law-vengeance threaten' d y must be full endur'd, 

Stern justice must have credit by the match, 

Sweet mercy by the heart the bride must catch. 

Poor bankrupt I all her debt must first be paid, 

Her former husband in the grave be laid : 

Her present lover must be at the cost, 

To save and ransom to the uttermost \ 

If ail these things this suitor kind can do, 

Then he may win her, and her blessing too. 

Hard terms indeed ! while death's the first demand -, 

But love is strong as deaths and will not stand 

To carry on the suit, and make it good, 

Though at the dearest rate of wounds and blood. 

The burden's heavy, but the back is broad, 

The glorious lover is the mighty God. -j- 

Kind bowels yearning in th* eternal Son, 

He left his Father's court, his heavenly throne : 

Aside he threw his most divine array, 

And wrapt his Godhead in a veil of clay. 

Angelic armies, who in glory crown'd, 

With joyful harps his awful throne surround, 

Down to the crystal frontier of the sky, % 

To see the Saviour born, did eager fly \ 

And ever since behold with wonder fresh 

Their Sovereign 2nd our Saviour wrapt in flesh. 

Who in his garb did mighty love display, 

Restoring what lie never took awny, § 

To God his glory, to the law its due, 

To heav'n its honour, to the earth its hue, 

To man a righteousness divine, complete, 

A royal robe to suit the nuptial rice. 

He in her favours, whom he lov'd so well, 

At once d'-d p w ol>aic hoav'n, r.nd Vanquish lieiu 

* Songviii. 6. f Isa. ix. 6, - | Luke ii. 9— -14. 

$ pj-lm Ixix. 4. 



Chap. I. THE believer's espousals. 29 

Oh ! unexampled love ! so vast, so strong, 
So great, so high, so deep, so broad, so long ! " 
Can finite thought this ocean huge explore, 
Unconscious of a bottom or a shore ? 
His love admits no parallel, — for why ? 
At one great draught of love he drank hell dry, 
No drop of wrathful gall he left behind ; 
No dreg to witness that he was unkind. 
The sword of awful justice pierc'd his side, 
That mercy thence might gush upon the bride. 
The meritorious labours of his life, 
And glorious conquests of his dying strife ; 
Her debt of doing, suffering, both cancelled, 
And broke the bars his lawful captive held. 
Down to the ground the hellish host he threw, 
Then mounting high the trump of triumph blew,. 
• Attended with a bright seraphic band, 
Sat down enthron'd sublime on God's right hand | 
Where glorious choirs their various harps employ, 
To sound his praises with confed'rate joy. 
There he, the bride's strong intercessor, sits, 
And thence the blessing of his blood transmits, 
Sprinkling all o'er the flaming throne of God, 
Pleads for her pardon his atoning blood ; 
Sends down his holy co-eternal Dove, 
To shew the wonders of incarnate love, 
To woo and win the bride's reluctant heart, 
And pierce it with his kindly killing dart ; . 
By gospel light to manifest that now 
She has no further with the law to do ; ; 
That her new Lord has loos'd the fed'ral tie, 
That once hard bound her, ok to da or die ; 
That precepts, threats, no single mite can crave. 
Thus for her former spouse he digg'd, a grave j 
The law fast to his cross did nail and pin, *) 

Then bury'd the defunct his tomb within, > 

That he the lonely widow to himself might win. j 
C 3 



1 



SO GOSPEL SONNETS. Pail 

SECT. Ill,— Man's LEGAL $isppsiiori+ 

TOUT, after all, the bride's so mal-content, 

-*-* No argument. ssfve pow'r, is prevalent 

To bow her will, and gain her heart's consent. \ 

The glorious Prince's suit she disapproves, 

The law, her old primordial husband, loves \ 

Hopeful in its embraces life to have, 

Though dead and bury.'d in her suitor's grave ; 

Unable to give life, as once before \ 

Unfit to be a husband any more. 

Yet proudly she the new address disdains, 

And all the blest Redeemer's love and pains ; 

Though now his head, that cruel thorns did wound, 

Is with immortal glory circled round ; 

Archangels at his awful footstool bow, 

And drawing love sits smiling on his brow. 

Though down he sends in gospei-tidings good 

Epistles of his love, sign'd with his blood ; 

Yet lordly she the royal suit rejects, 

Eternal life by legal works affects ; 

In vain the living seeks among the dead^ § 

Sues quickening comforts in a killing head. 

Her dead and bury'd husband has her heart, 

Which can, nor death remove, nor life impart. 

Thus all-revolting Adam's blinded race 

In their first spouse their hope and comfort place. 

They natively expect, if guilt them press, 

Salvation by a home-bred righteousness : 

They look for favour in Jehovah's eyes, 

By careful doing all that in them lies. 

'Tis still their primary attempt to draw 

Their life and comfort from the vet'ran law ; 

They flee not to the hope the gospel gives ; 

To trust a promise bare, their minds aggrieves 

Which judge the man that dees, the man that lives 

§ Luke izvi 5, 



ives, j 



Chap. 1. THE believer's espousals. SI 

As native as they draw their vital breath, 
Their fond recourse is to the legal path, 
f Why,' says old nature, in law-wedded man, 
« Won't Heav'n be pleas'd, if I do all I can ? 
c If I conform my walk to nature's light, 

< And strive, intent to practise what is right, 

< Thus won't I by the God of heav'n be bless'd, 

« And win his favour, if I do my best ? (thrall, 

« Good God ! (he cries,) when press'd with debt and 

€ Have patience with me, and I'll pay thee all J # 

Upon their all, their best, they're fondly mad, 

Though yet their all is naught, their best is bad. 

Proud man his can-does mightily exalts, 

Yet are his brightest works but splendid faults* 

A sinner may have shews of good, but still 

The best he can, ev'n at his best is ill. 

Can heav'n or divine favour e'er be won 

By those that are a mass of hell and sin ? 

The righteous law does num'rous woes denounce 

Against the wretched soul that fails but once : 

What heaps of curses on their heads it rears, 

That have anlass'd the guilt of num'rous years ! 

SECT. IV. — Man's strict attachment to legal terms* 
or to the law as a condition of life. 

C AY, on what terms then Heav'n appeas'd will be ? 
*-* Why, sure perfection is the least degree. 
Yea, more, full satisfaction must be giv'n 
For trespass done against the laws of Heav'n. 
These are the terms : what mortal back so broad, 
But must for ever sink beneath the load ? 
A ransom must be found, or die they must, 
Sure, ev'n as justice infinite is just. 
But, says the legal, proud, self-righteous heart, 
Which cannot with her ancient consort part,. 

Matth. xviii. 26. 



32 GOSPEL SONNETS* I Part I. 

i What ! woivt the goodness of the God of heav'n 
« Admit of smalls, when greater can't be given ? 
c He knows our fall diminished all our funds, 

< Won't he accept of pennies now for pounds ? 

< Sincere endeavours for perfection take, 

« Or terms more possible for mankind make ?' 

Ah ! poor divinity,. and jargon loose ; 

Such hay and straw will never build the house. 

Mistake not here, proud mortal, don't mistake, 

God changes not, nor other terms will make. 

Will divine faithfulness itself deny, 

Which swore solemnly, Man shall do or die ? 

Will God, most true, extend to us, forsooth, 

His goodness to the damage of his truth I y 

Will spotless holiness be baffled thus ? 

Or awful justice be unjust for us ? 

Shall faithfulness be faithless for our sake, 

And he his threats, as we his precepts break ?. 

Will our great Creator deny himself, 

And for full payment take our filthy pelf ? 

Dispense with justice, to let mercy vent ? 

And stain his royal crown with 'minish'd rent ? 

Unworthy thought ! O let no mortal clod 

Hold such base notions of a glorious God* 

Heav'n's holy cov'nant, made for human race, 

Consists, or whole of works, or whole of grace. 

If works will take the field, then works must be 

For ever perfect to the last degree : 

Will God dispense with less ? Nay, sure he won't 

With ragged toll his royal law affront. 

Can rags, that Sinai flames will soon dispatch, 

E'er prove the fiery law's adequate match ? 

Vain man must be divorc'd, and choose to take 

Another husband, or a burning lake* 

We find the divine volume no where teach 
New legal terms within our mortal reach. 
Some make, though in the sacred page unknown, 
Sincerity assume perfection's throne j 



Chap. I. THE BELIEVER'S ESPOUSALS. S3 

But who will boast this base usurper's sway, 'I 

Save ministers of darkness, that display > 

Invented night, to stifle scripture day ? j 

The nat'ralist's sincerity is naught, 
That of the gracious is divinely taught ; 
Which teaching, keeps their graces, if sincere, 
Within the limits of the gospel sphere, 
Where, vaunting, none created graces sing, 
Nor boast of streams, but of the Lord the spring. 
Sincerity's the soul of ev'ry grace, 
The quality of all the ransom'd race, 
Of promis'd favour 'tis a fruit, a clause, 
But no procuring term, no moving cause. 

How unadvis'd the legal mind confounds 
The marks of divine favour with the grounds, 
And qualities of covenanted friends, 
With the condition of the cov'nant blends ? 
Thus holding gospel truths with legal arms, 
Mistakes new-covenant fruits for fed'ral terms, 
The joyful sound no change of terms allows, 
But change of persons, or another spouse. 
The nature same, that sinn'd must do or die : 
No milder terms in gospel-offers lie. 
For grace no other law abatement shews, 
But how law-debtors, may restore its dues \ 
Restore, yea, through a Surety in their place, 
With double interest, and a better grace. 
Here we of no new terms of life are told, 
But of a husband to fulfil the old ; 
With him alone by faith we're call'd to wed, 
And let no rival *bruik the marriage-bed. X^Bnjmf. 

SECT. V. — Men's vain attempt to seek LIFE by 
Christ's righteousness, joined wuh their &wn j and 
legal hopes natural to all. 



B 



UT still the bride reluctant disallows 
The junior suit, and hugs the senior spouse. 



54? GOSPEL SONNETS. Part I. 

Such the old selfish folly of her mind, 
So bent to lick the dust, and grasp the wind, 
Alledging works and duties of her own 
May for her criminal offend^ atone ; 
She will her antic dirty robe provide, 
Which vain she hopes will all pollutions hide. 
The filthy rags which saints away have flung, 
She, holding, wraps, and rolls herself in dung ; 
Thus maugre all the light the gospel gives, 
Unto her natural consort fondly cleaves. 
Though mercy set the royal match in view, 
She's loth to bid her ancient mate adieu. 
When light of scripture, reason, common sense, 
-Can hardly mortify her vain pretence 
To legal righteousness ; yet if at last 
Her conscience rous'd, begins to stand aghast, 
Press'd with the dread of hell, she'll rashly patch, 
And halve a bargain with the proffer'd match •, 
In hopes his help, together with her own, 
Will turn to peaceful smiles the wrathful frown. 
Through grace the rising Sun delightful sings, 
With full salvation in his golden wings, 
And righteousness complete ; the faithless soul, 
Receiving half the light, rejects the whole; 
Revolves the sacred page, but reads purblind 
The gospel-message with the legal mind. 
Men dream their state, ah ! too, too slightly view'd, 
Needs only be amended, not renew'd - 9 
Scorn to be wholly debtors unto grace, 
Hopeful their works may meliorate their case. 
They fancy present prayers, and future pains, 
Will for their former failings make amends : 
To legal yokes they bow their servile necks, "> 

And, lest soul's slips their false repose perplex, > 
Think Jesus' merits make up all defects. j 

They patch his glorious robe with filthy rags, 
And burn but incetise to their proper drags *, 
* Hab, i. IS. 



Chap. 1. THE BLEIEVER'S ESPOUSALS. 

Disdain to use his righteousness alone, 

But as an aiding stirr'p to mount their own ; 

Thus in Christ's room his rival self 'enthrone ; 

And vainly would, dress'd up in legal trim, 

Divide salvation 'tween themselves and him. 

But know, vain man, that to his share must fall 

The glory of the whole, or none at all. 

In him all wisdom's hidden treasures lie *, 

And all the fulness of the Deity f. 

This store alone, immense, and never spent, 

Might poor insolvent debtors well content ; 

But to hell- prison justly Heav'n will doom 

Proud fools that on their petty stock presume. 

The softest couch that gilded nature knows, 

Can give the waken'd conscience no repose. 

When God arraigns, what mortal pow'r can stand 

Beneath the terror of his lifted hand ! 

Our safety lies beyond the nat'ral line, 

Beneath a purple covert all divine. 

Yet how is precious Christ, the way, despis'd, 

And high the way of life by doing priz'd ! 

But can its vot'ries all its levy show ? 

They prize it most who least its burden know : 

Who by the law in part would save his soul, 

.Becomes a debtor to fulfil the ivhole %. 

Its pris'ner he remains, and without bail, 

'Till ev'ry mite be paid ; and if he fail, 

(As sure he must, since, by our sinful breach, 

Perfection far surmounts all mortal reach,) 

Then curs'd for ever must his soul remain : 

And all the folk *f God must say> amen §. 

Why, seeking that the law should help afford, 

In honouring the law, he slights its Lord, 

Y/ho gave his law-fulfilling righteousness 

To be the naked sinner's perfect dress, 

In which he might with spotless beauty shine 

Before the face of majesty divine : 

* Col. ii. 3. f Col. ii. 9. J Gal. v. 3. § Deut. xxvii. 



2G, 



36 GOSPEL SONNETS. Part I. 

Yet, lo ! the sinner works with mighty pains 
A garment of his own to hide his stains ; 
Ungrateful, overlooks the gift of God, 
The robe wrought by his hand, dy'd in his blood. 

In vain the Son of God this web did weave, 
Could our vile rags sufficient shelter give. 
In vain he every thread of it did draw, 
Could sinners be o'ermantled by the law. 
Can men's salvation on their works be built, 
Whose fairest actions nothing are but guilt ? 
Or can the law suppress th' avenging flame, 
When now its only office is to damn ? 
Did life come by the law in part or whole i 
Bless'd Jesus dy'd in vain to save a soul. 
Those then who life by legal means expect, 
To them is Christ become of no effect ; * 
Because their legal mixture do in fact 
Wisdom's grand project plainly counteract. 
How close proud carnal reasonings combine, 
To frustrate sovereign grace's great design ? 
Man's heart by nature weds the law alone, 
Nor will another paramour enthrone. 

True, many seem by course of life profane, 
No favour for the law to entertain : 
But break the bands, and cast the cords away, 
That would their raging lusts and passions stay. 
Yet ev'n this reigning madness may declare, 
How strictly wedded to the law they are ; 
For now (however rich they seem'd before) *! 

Hopeless to pay law-debt, they give it o'er, (more. > 
Like desp'rate debtors mad, still run themselves in 3 
Despair of success shews their strong desires, 
Till legal hopes are parch'd with lustful fires. 
€ Let's give, say they, our lawles* will free scope, 
< And live at random, for there is no hope! J 
The law, that can't them help, they stab with hate, 
Yet scorn to beg, or court another mate. 

* Gal. ii. 21. v. 2. 4. I Jer, xviii, 12. 



Part I. the believer's espousals. 87 

Here lusts most opposite their hearts divide, 
Their beastly passion and their bankrupt pride. 
In passion they their native mate deface, 
In pride disdain to be oblig'd to grace. 
Hence plainly as a rule 'gainst law they live, 
Yet closely to it as a cov'nant cleave. 
Thus legal pride lies hid beneath the patch, 
And strong aversion to the gospel match. 

CHAP. II. 

The manner of a sinner's divorce from the law: 
in a work of humiliation, and of his marriage 
to the Lord Jesus Christ; or the way how 
a sinner comes to be a believer. 

SECT. Is — Of a LAW-WORK, and the workings of 
legal pride under it* 

CO proud's the bride, so backwardly -disposed ; 
^ How then shall e'er the happy match be clos'd ? 
Kind grace the tumults of her heart must quell, 
And draw her heaven-ward by the gates of hell, 
The Bridegroom's Father makes, by's Koly Spirit, 
His stern command with her stiff conscience meet ; 
To dash her pride r and shew her utmost need, 
Pursues for double debt with awful dread. 
He makes her former husband's frightly ghost 
Appear and damn her, as a bankrupt lost ; 
With curses, threats, and Sinai thunders-claps, 
Her lofty tow'r of legal boasting saps. 
These humbling storms, in high or low degrees, 
Heav'n's Majesty will measure as he please \ 
But still he makes the fiery law at least 
Pronounce its awful sentence in her breast, 
Till through the law * convict of being lost, 
She hopeless to the law gives up the ghost : 

* Gal. ii. 19. 



SS . . gospel sonnets. Part I. 

Which now in rigour comes full debt to crave 

And in close prison cast ; but not to save. 

For now 'tis weak, and can't (through our default) 

Its greatest votaries to life exalt. 

But well it can command with fire and flame, 

And to the lowest pit of ruin damn. 

Thus doth it, by commission from above, 

Deal with the bride, when Heav'n would court her 

love. 
Lo ! now she startles at the Sinai trump, 
Which throws her soul into a dismal dump, 
Conscious another husband she must have, 
Else die for ever in destruction's grave. 
While in conviction's jail she's thus inclos'd, 
Ghd news are heard, the royal mate's propos'd. 
And now the scornful bride's inverted stir 
Is racking fear, he scorns to match with her. 
She dreads his fury, and despairs that he 
Will ever wed so vile a wretch as she. 
And here the legal humour stirs again 
To her prodigious loss and grievous pain : 
For when the Prince presents himself to be 
Her husband, then she deems : Ah ! is not he 
Too fair a match for such a filthy bride ? 
Unconscious that the thought bewrays her pride, 
Even pride of merit, pride of righteousness, 
Expecting Heav'n should love her for her dress y 
Unmindful how the fall her face did stain, 
And made her but a black unlovely swain j 
Her w r hole primeval beauty quite defac'd, 
And to the rank of fiends her form debas'd ; 
Without disfigur'd, and defiTd within, 
Incapable of any thing but sin. 
Heav'n courts not any for their comely face, 1 

But for the glorious praise of sov'reign grace, > 
Else ne'er had courted one of Adam's race, j 

Which all as children of corruption be 
Heirs rightful of immortal misery. 



Chap. II. the believer's espousals. 3$ 

Yet here the bride employs her foolish wit, 

For this bright match her ugly form to fit ; 

To daub her features o'er with legal paint, 

That with a grace she may herself present. 

Hopeful the Prince with credit might her wed, 

If once some comely qualities she had. 

In humble pride her haughty spirit flags ; 

She .cannot think of comicg all in rags. 

Were she a humble, faithful penitent, 

She dreams he'd then contract with full content. 

Base varlet ! think she'd be z match for him, 

Did she but deck herself in handsome trim. 

Ah ! foolish thoughts ! in legal deeps that plod, 

Ah ! sorry notions of a sovereign God ! 

Will God expose his great, his glorious Son, 

For our vile baggage to be sold and won ? 

Should sinful modesty the match decline, 

Until its garb be brisk and superfine ; 

Alas ! when should we see the marriage-day ? 

The happy bargain must flee up for ay. 

Presumptuous souls in surly modesty, 

Half saviours themselves would fondly be, 

Then, hopeful th' other half their due will fall, 

Disdain to be in Jesus' debt for all, 

Vainly the first would wash themselves, and then 

Address the fountain to be wash'd more clean, 

First heal themselves, and then expect the balm : 

Ah ! many slightly cure their sudden qualm. 

And seek no other Christ, but perish there. 

They heal their conscience with a tear of prayer ; 

O sinner ! search the house, and see the thief "} 

That spoils thy Saviour's crown, thy soul's relief, > 

The hid, but heinous sin of unbelief. \ 

Who can possess a quality that's good, 

Till first he come to Jesus' cleansing blood ?'- 

The pow'r that draws the bride, will also shew; 

Unto her by the way her hellish hue, 



40 GOSPEL "SONNETS. Part I. 

As void of ev'ry virtue to commend, 

And full of ev'ry vice that will offend, 

Till sov'reign grace the sullen bride shall catch, 

She'll never fit herself for such a match. 

Most qualified they are in heav'n to dwell, 

Who see themselves most qualified for hell ; 

And, ere the bride can -drink salvation's cup, 

Kind Heav'n must reach to hell and lift her up : 

For no decorum e'er about her found, 

Is she belov'd ; but on a nobler ground. 

Jehovah's love is like his nature, free ; 

Nor must his creature challenge his decree y 

But low at sov'reign grace's footstool creep, 

"Whose ways are searchless, and his judgments deep^ 

Yet Grace's suit meets with resistance rude 

From haughty souls ; for lack of innate good 

To recommend them. Thus the backward bride 

Affronts her suitor with her modest pride. 

Black hatred for his offer'd love repays, 

Pride under mask of modesty displays : 

In part would save herself; hence, saucy soul ! 

Rejects the matchless Mate would save in whole. 

SECT. II. — Conviction of six jind wrath, carried on 
more deeply and effectually on the heart % 



s< 



<0 proudly forward is the bride, and now 
Stern Heav'n begins to stare with cloudier brow : 
Law- curses come with more condemning pow'r 
To scorch her conscience with a fiery show'r. 
And more refulgent flashes darted in; 
For by the law the knowledge is of sin* 
Black Sinai thund'ring louder than before, 
Does awful in her lofty bosom roar. 
Heav'n's furious storms now rise from ev'ry airth> f 
In ways more terrible to shake the earthy \ 

* Rom. iii. 20. f Wind, or quarter. + Is^. i\ 17.19* 



Chap. IT. THE BELIEVER'S ESPOUSALS. ^L 

Jill haughtiness of men be sunk thereby r , 

That Christ alone may be exalted high. 

Now stable earth seems from her centre tost, 

And lofty mountain in the ocean lost. 

Hard rocks of flint and haughty hills of pride, 

Are torn in pieces by the roaring tide. 

Each flash of new conviction's lucid rays 

Heart-errors, undiscern'd till now, displays \ 

Wrath's massy cloud upon the conscience breaks,. 

And thus menacing Heav'n in thunder speaks^ 

« Black wretch, thou madly under foot hast trod^ 

« Th' authority of a commanding God : 

< Thou, like thy kindred that in Adam fell, 

c Art but a law-reversing lump of hell, 

« And there by law and justice doom'd to dwell." 

Now, now, the daunted bride her state bewails, 

And downward furls her self-exalting sails*, 

With pungent fear, and piercing terror brought 

To mortify her lofty legal thought. 

Why, the commandment comes y sin is revived* 

That lay so hid, while to the law she liv'd y 

Infinite majesty in God is seen ; 

And infinite malignity in sin - y 

That to its expiation must amount 

A sacrifice of infinite account. 

Justice its dire severity displays, 

The law its vast dimensions open lays. 

She sees for this broad standard nothing meet, 

Save an obedience sinless and complete. 

Her cob-web righteousness, once in renown, 

Is with a happy vengeance now swept down. 

She who of daily faults could once but prate, 

Sees now her sinful, miserable state. [dwell.. 

Her heart, where once she thought some good to 

The devil's cab'net fill'd with trash of hell. 

Her boasted feature now unmasked bare, 

Her vaunted hopes are plung'd in -deep -despair*. 

* Rom. vii. 9.. 

D 3 



42 GOSPEL SONNETS. Part L 

Her haunted shelter-house in bypast years 

Comes tumbling down about her frighted ears. 

Her former rotten faith, love, penitence, 

She sees a bowing wall) a?id totf ring fence. 

Excellencies of thought, and word, and deed, 

All swimming, drowning in a sea of dread, 

Her beauty now deformity she deems, 

Her heart much blacker than the devil's seems ; 

With ready lips she can herself declare 

The vilest ever breath'd in vital. air. 

Her former hopes, as refuges of lies, 

Are swept away, and all her boasting dies. 

She once imagin'd Heav'n would be unjust 

To damn so many lumps of human dust, 

Form'd by himself; but now sh6 owns its true, 

'Damnation surely is the sinner's due: 

Yea, now applauds the law's just doom so well, 

That justly she condemns herself to hell - % 

Does herein divine equity acquit, 

Herself adjudging to the lowest pit. 

Her language, « Oh ! if God condemn, I must 

< From bottom of my soul declare him just - % 
* But if his great salvation me embrace, 

« How loudly will I sing surprizing grace ! 

< If from the pit he to the throne me raise, 
« I'll rival angels in his endless praise. 

< If, hell-deserving/me to heav'n he bring, 

« No heart so glad, no tongue so loud shall sing. 
« Jf wisdom has not laid the saving plan, 
« I nothing have to claim, I nothing can. 
« My works but sin, my merit death Isee - % 

< Oh ! mercy, mercy, mercy ! pity me.' 
Thus all self-justifying pleas are dropp'd, 
Most guilty she becomes, her mouth is stopp'd. 
Pungent remorse does her past conduct blame, 
And flush her conscious cheek with spreading shame, 
Her self-conceited heart is self convict, 

With barbed arrows of compunction prick'd : 



Chap. II. the believer's espousals. 43 

Wonders how justice spares her vital breath, 
How patient Heav'n adjourns the day of wrath 5 
How pliant earth does not with open jaws 
Devour her, Korah-like, for equal cause ; 
How yawning hell, that gapes for such a prey, 
Is frustrate with a further hour's delay. 
She that could once her mighty works exalt, 
And boast devotion fram'd without a fault, 
Extol her nat'ral pcw'rs, is now brought down, 
Her former madness, not her pow'rs, to own. 
Her present beggar'd state, most void of grace, 
Unable even to wail her woful case, 
Quite pow'rless to believe, repent, or pray ; 
Thus pride of duties flies and dies away*. 
She, like a harden'd wretch, a stupid stone, 
Lies in the dust, and cries, Undone, undone. 

SECT. III. — The deeply humbled soul relieved with 
some saving discoveries 0/* Christ the Redeemer. 

WHEN thus the wounded bride perceives full 
well, 
Herself the vilest sinner out of hell, 
The blackest monster in the universe 5 
Pensive, if clouds of wo shall e'er disperse 4 
When in her breast Heav'n's wrath so fiercely glows, 
'Twixt fear and guilt, her bones have no repose* 
When flowing billows of amazing dread 
Swell to a deluge o'er her sinking head ; 
When nothing in her heart is found to dwell, 
But horrid Atheism, enmity, and hell ; 
When endless death and ruin seems at hand, 
And yet she cannot, for her soul, command 
A sigh to ease it, or a gracious tlwuglit y 
Though heav'n could at this petty rate be bought ^ 
When darkness and confusion overcloud, 
And unto black despair temptations crowd \ 



41 GOSPEL sonnets. Part I. 

When wholly without strength to move or stir, 
And not a star by night appears to her : 
But she, while to the brim her troubles flow, 
Stands, trembling, on the utmost brink of woe. 
Ah ! weary case ! But, lo ! in this sad plight, 
The sun arises with surprising light. 
The darkest midnight is his usual time 
Of rising, and appearing in his prime. 
To shew the hiils from whence salvation springs, 
And chase the gloonry shade with golden wings, 
The glorious Husband now unvails his face, 
And shews his glory full of truth and grace :* 
Presents unto the bride, in that dark hour, , 
Himself a Saviour, both by price and pow'r : 
A mighty Helper to redeem the lost, 
Relieve and ransom to the uttermost \\ 
To seek.the vagrant sheep to deserts driv'n, 
And save from lowest hell to highest heav'n. 
Her doleful case he sees, his bowels move, 
And make her time of need his time of love ; \ 
He shews, to prove himself her mighty shield, 
His name is JESUS, by his Father seal'd : § 
A name with attributes engrav'd within, 
To save from ev'ry attribute of sin. 
With wisdom sin's great folly to expose, 
And righteousness its chain of guilt to loose, 
Sanctif 'cation to subdue its sway. 
Redemption all its woful brood to slay, % 
Each golden letter of his glorious name 
Bears full deliv'rance both from sin and shame. 
Yea, not privation bare from sin, and wo, 1 

But thence all positive salvations flow, > 

To make her wise^just) /ioly> happy too. j 

He now appears a match exactly meet 
To make her ev'ry way in him complete^ 

* John i. 14. f Hcb. vii. 25. \ Ezek. xvi, 0, 8. 

§ Matth. i. 21. % 1 Cor. i. 30, 



Chap. .II. THE believer's ESPOUSALS. 45 

/;/ whom the fulness of the Godhead dwells ,* 
That she may boast in him, and nothing else. 
In gospel lines she now perceives the dawn 
Of Jesus' love, with bloedy pencil drawn ; 
How God in him is infinitely pleas'd, 
And Heav'n-avenging fury wholly appeas'd : 
Law-precepts magnify'd by her belov'd, 
And ev'ry let to stop the match remov'd. 
Now in her view her prison- gates break ope, 
Wide to the wall flies up the door ofliope ; 
And now she sees, with pleasure unexpress'd, 
For shatter'd barks a happy shore of rest. 

SECT. IV. — The working of the 'Spirit of faith, in 
separating the heart from all self- righteousness ', and 
drawing out its consent to y and desire after Christ 
alone and wholly* 

npHE bride at Sinai little understood, [good,! 
-*■ How these law-humblings were design'd for > 
T 9 enhance the value of her Husband's blood. j 
The towV of tott'ring pride thus batter'd down, 
Makes way for Christ alone to wear the crown. 
Conviction's arrows pierc'd her heart, that so 
The blood from his pierc'd heart to her's might flow. 
The law's sharp plough tears up the fallow ground, 
Where not a grain of grace was to be found, 
Till straight perhaps behind the plough is sown 
The hidden seed of faith, as yet unknown. 
Hence now the once reluctant bride's inciin'd 
To give the gospel an assenting mind, 
Dispos'd to take, would grace the pow'r impart, 
Heav'n's offer with a free consenting heart. 
His Spirit in the gospel-chariot rides, 1 

And shews his loving heart to draw the bride's ; > 
Though oft in clouds his drawing pow'r he hides, j 

* Coi. ii. 9, 10. 



46 * GOSPEL SONNETS. Part I. 

His love in gracious offers to her bears, 
In kindly answers to her doubts and fears ; 
Resolving all objections more or less 
From former sins, or present worthlessness. 
Persuades her mind of's conjugal consent, 
And then impow'rs her heart to say, Content. 
Content to be divorced from the law, 
No more the yoke of legal terms to draw ; 
Content that he dissolve the former match, 
And to himself alone her heart attach ; 
Content to join with Christ at any rate, 
And wed him as her everlasting mate ; 
Content that he should ever wear the bays, 
And of her whole salvation have the praise 5 
Content that he should rise, though she should fail, 
And to be nothing, that he may be all ; 
Content that he, because she nought could do, 
Dofior her all her work, and in her too. 
Here she a peremptory mind displays, 
That he do all the work, get all the praise. 
And now she is, which ne'er till now took place, 
Content entirely to be sav'd by grace. 
She owns that her damnation just would be, 
And therefore her salvation must be free : 
That nothing being her's but sin and thrall, 
She must be debtor unto grace for all. 

Hence comes she to him in her naked case, 
To be invested with his righteousness. 
She comes, as guilty > to a pardon free : 
As vile and filthy ^ to a cleansing sea : 
As poor and empty, to the richest stock ; 
As weak and feeble' to the strongest rock : 
As perishing, unto a shield from thrall ; 
As worse than nothing, to an all in all. 
She, as a blinded mole, an ign'rant fool, 
Comes for instruction to the Prophet's school. 
She, with a hell-deserving conscious breast, 
Fiies for atonement to the worthy Priest. 



Chap. II. THE BELIEVER'S ESPOUSALS. 47 

She, as a slave to sin and Satan, wings 

Her flight for help unto the King of kings. 

She all her maladies and plagues brings forth 

To this Physician of eternal worth. 

She spreads before his throne her filthy sore 5 

And lays her broken bones down at his door. 

No mite she has to buy a crumb of bliss, 

And therefore comes impov'rish'd as she is. 

But sin and Satan, of all good bereft, 

Comes e'en as bare as they her soul have left. 

To sense, as free of holiness within, 

As Christ, the spotless Lamb, was free of sin. 

She comes by faith, true \ but it shews her want, 

And brings her as a sinner, not a saint ; 

A wretched sinner, flying for her good 

To justifying, sanctifying blood. 

Strong faith no 'strength, nor pow'r of acting, vaunts, 

"But acts in sense .of weakness and of wants. 

Brain'd now of ev'ry thing that men may call T 

Terms and conditions of relief from thrall ; > 

Except this one, that Jesus be her all. j 

"When to the bride he .gives espousing faith, 

It finds her under sin, and guilt, and wrath, 

And makes her as a plagued wretch to fall 

At Jesus' footstool for the cure of all. 

Her whole salvation now in him she seeks, 

And musing thus perhaps in secret speaks : 

* Lo ! all my burdens may in him be eas'd ; 
4 The justice I offended he has pleas'd ; 
1 The bliss that I have forfeit he procur'd ; 
1 The curse that I deserved he endur'd 
« The law that I have broken he obey'd'j 
i The debt that I contracted he has paid : 
' And though a match unfit for him I be, 
* I find him ev'ry way most fit for me. 
. * Sweet Lord, I think, would thou thyself icapart, 
« I'd welcome thee with open hand and heart. 



43 GOSPEL SONNETS. Part 1- 

* But thou that sav'st by price, must save by pow'r ; 

* O send thy Spirit in a fiery show'r, 

< This cold and frozen heart of mine to tliaw, 

' That nought, save cords of burning love, can draw. 
c O draw me, Lord, then will I run to thee, 
' And glad into thy glowing bosom flee. 
4 I own myself a mass of sin and hell, 
« A brat that can do nothing but rebel : 

* But didst thou not, as sacred pages shew,* 
c When rising up to spoil the hellish crew, 

< That had by thousands sinners captive made, 

6 And hadst in conquering chains them captive led, 

6 Get donatives, not for thy proper gain, 

c But royal bounties for rebellious men, 

€ Gifts, graces, and the Spirit without bounds, 

4 For God's new house with man on firmer grounds ? 

* O then let me a rebel now come speed, 

* Thy Holy Spirit is the gift I need. 

6 His precious graces too, the glorious grant, 

* Thou kindly promis'd, and I greatly want. 

* Thou art exalted to the highest place, 

1 To give repentance forth, and erfry grace f . 
i O giver of spiritual life and breath, 
c The author and the finisher of faith % ! 

* Thou husband-like must ev'ery thing provide, 
c If e'er the like of me become thy bride.' 

SECT. V. — Faith 9 s view of the freedom of grace, cor- 
dial renunciation of all its qvjii ragged righteousness , 
and format acceptance of and closing vciih the person of 
glorious Christ. 

JTHHE bride with open eyes, that once were dim, 
-■- Sees now her whole salvation lies in him ; 
The Prince, who is not in dispensing nice, 
But freely gives, without her pains or price. 

* Psalm xviii. 18. } Acts v. 31. % Heb. xii. 2. 



Chap. II. THE BELIEVER'S ESWPPUSALS. 49 

This magnifies the wonder in her eye, 
Wlio not a farthing has wherewith to buy ; 
For now her humbled mind can disavow 
Her boasted beauty and assuming brow \ 
With conscious eye distern her emptiness, 
With candid lips her poverty confess. 
i O glory to the Lord, that grace is free, 
« Else never would it light on guilty me. 
« I nothing have with me to be its price, 
« But hellish blackness, enmity, and vice/ 
In former times she durst presuming ccme 
To grace's market with a petty sum 
Of duties, prayers, tears, a boasted set, 
Expecting Heav'n would thus be in her debt. 
These were the price ; at least she did suppose 
She'd be the welcomer because of those : 
But now she sees the vileness of her vogue, 
The dung that close doth ev'ry duty clog ; 
The sin that doth her holiness reprove, 
The enmity that close attends her love ; 
The great heart-hardness of her penitence, 
The stupid dulness of her vaunted sense ; 
The unbelief of former blazed faith, 
The utter nothingness of all she hath. 
The blackness of her beauty she can sec, 
The pompous pride of strain'd humility. 
The naughtiness of all her tears and pray'rs, 
And now renounces all as worthless wares ; 
And finding nothing to commend herself, 
But what might damn her, her embezzled pelf; 
At sov'reign Grace's feet doth prostrate fall, 
Content to be in Jesus' debt for all." 
Her noised virtues vanish out of sight, 
As starry tapers at meridian light ; 
While sweetly, humbly, she beholds, at length, 
, Christ, as her only righteousness and strength. 
He with the view throws down his loving dart. 
Imprest with pow'r into her tender heart, 
E 



50 GOSPEL SONNETS. Part L 

The deeper that the law's fierce dart was thrown, , 
The deeper now the dart of love goes down : 
Hence, sweetly pain'd, her cries to heav'n do flee ; 

* O none but Jesus, none but Christ for me : 
c - O glorious Christ ! O beauty, beauty rare ! 

* Ten thousand thousand heav'ns are not so fair. 

< In him at once all beauties meet and shine, 

* The white and ruddy, human and divine. 
c As in his low, he's in his high abode, 

* The brightest image of the unseen God.* 

< How justly do the harpers sing above, 

c His doing, dying, rising, reigning love ! 

c How justly does he, when his work is done, 

c Possess the centre of his Father's throne ? 

< How justly does his awful throne before 
*, Seraphic armies prostrate him adore, 

* That's both by nature and donation crown'd, 

* With all the grandeur of the Godhead round ? 

c But wilt thou, Lord, in very deed, come dwell 

< With me, that was a burning brand of hell ? 

* With me, so justly reckon'd worse and less 
« Than insect, mite, or atom can express ? 

t Wilt thou debase thy high imperial form, 

< To match with such a mortal, crawling worm ? 

< Yea, sure thine errand to our earthly coast 
« Was in deep love to stek and save the hit ; f 

* And since thou deign'st the like of me to wed, 

< O come and make my heart thy marriage-bed. 
6 Fair Jesus, wilt thou marry filthy me ? 

f Amen, Amen, Amen \ so let it be. 

* Keb. i, 3. t J-uke xix, 10. 



I Chap. III. THE believer's espousals. 51 

CHAP. III. 

The Fruits of the Believer's Marriage with 
Christ, particularly gospel-holiness, and 
obedience to the law as a rule. 

SECT, l._77v sweet solemnity of the marriage now 
over^ and the jad effects of the remains of a legal 
spirit. 

fl^HE match is made, with little din 'tis done, 
-■■* But with great pow'r, unequal prizes won. 
The Lamb has fairly won his worthless bride ; 
She her great Lord, and all his store beside. 
He made the poorest bargain, though most wise, 
And she, the fool, has won the worthy prize. 
Deep floods of everlasting love and grace, 
That under ground ran an eternal space, 
Now rise aloft 'bove banks of sin and hell, 
And o'er the tops of massy mountains swell. 
In streams of blood are tow'rs of guilt o'erflown, 
Down with the rapid purple current thrown. 

The bride now as her all can Jesus own. 
And prostrate at his footstool cast her crown, 
Disclaiming all her former groundless hope. 
While in the dark her soul did weary grope^ 
Down tumble all the hills of self-conceit, 
In him alone she sees herself complete ; 
Does his fair' person with fond arms embrace, 
And all her .hopes on his full merit place ; 
Discard her former mate, and henceforth draw 
No hope, no expectation from the law. 

Though thus her new-created nature soars* 
And lives aloft on Jesus' heav'nly stores ; 
Yet apt to stray, her old adult'rous heart 
Oft takes her old renounced husband's part : 



52 GOSPEL SONNETS. Part I. 

A legal cov'nant is so deep ingrain'd, 
Upon the human nature, laps'd and stain'd, 
That, till her spirit mount the purest clime, 
She's .never totally divorc'd in time. 
Hid in her corrupt part's proud bosom lurks 
Some hope of life still by the law of works. 

Hence flow the following evils more or less \ ') 
Preferring oft her partial holy dress, > 

Before her Husband's perfect righteousness. y 

K£nce joying more in grace already giv'n 
Than in her Head and stock that's all in heav'n, 
Hence grieving more the want of frames and grace, 
Than of himself the spring of all solace. 

Hence guilt her soul imprisons, lusts prevail, ") 
While to the law her rents insolvent fail, (bail. > 
And yet her faithless heart rejects her Husband's j 

Hence soul disorders rise, and racking fears, 
While doubtful cf his clearing past arrears ; 
Vain dreaming since her own obedience fails, 
His likewise little for her help avails. 

Hence duties are a task, while ail in view 
Is heavy yokes of laws, or old or new : 
Whereas, were once her legal bias broke, 
She'd find her Lord's commands an easy yoke. 
No galling precepts on her neck he lays, 
Nor any debt demands, save what he pays 
By promis'd aid ; but, lo ! the grievous law, 
Demanding brick, won't aid her with a straw. 

Hence also fretful, grudging, discontent, 1 

Crav'd by the law, finding her treasure spent, > 
And doubting if her Lord will pay the rent. j 

Hence pride of duties too does often swell, 
Presuming she perform'd so very well, 

Hence pride of graces and inherent worth 
Springs from her corrupt legal bias forth ; 
And boasting more a present withering frame, 
Than her exalted Lord's unfading name, 



Chap. III. THE believer's espousals. 53 

Hence many falls and plunges in the mire, 
As many new conversions do require : 
Because her faithless heart sad follies breed, 
Much lewd departure from her living Head, 
Who, to reprove her aggravated crimes, 
Leaves her abandon'd to herself at times ; 
That, falling into frightful deeps, she may 
From sad experience learn more stress to lay, 
Not on her native efforts,. but, at length, 
On Christ alone her. righteousness and strength : 
Conscious, while in her works she seeks repose, 
Her legal spirit breeds her many woes. 

SECT. II. — FaitJis victories over sin and Sat an , thro* 
new and farther discoveries of Christ, making be' 
lievers more fruitful in holiness than all other preteti- 
ders tj works, 

FipHE gospel-path leads heav'n-ward ; hence the 
A fray, 

Hell's pow'rs still push the bride the legal way. 
So hot the war, her life's a troubled flood, 
A field of battle, and a scene of blood. 
But he that once commenc'd the work in her, 
Whose working fingers drop the sweetest myrrh, 
Will still advance it by alluring force, 
And, from her ancient mate, more clean divorce ; 
Since 'tis her antiquated spouse the law, 
The strength of sin and hell did on her draw. 
Piece- meal she finds hell's mighty fdrce abate, * 
By new recruits from her almighty Mate. 
Fresh armour sent from grace's magazine 
Makes her proclaim eternal war with sin. 
The shield of faith, dipt in the Surety's blood,. 
Drowns fiery darts as in a crimson flood. 
The Captain's ruddy banner, lifted high, 
Makes hell retire, and all the furies fly. 
Yea, of his glory every recent glance 
Makes sin decay, and holiness advance*. 
E3 



54 GOSPEL sonnets. Part I. 

In kindness therefore does her heav'nly Lord 

Renew'd discovYies of his love afford, 

That her enamour'd soul may, with the view, 

Be cast into his holy mould anew : 

For when he manifests his glorious grace. 

The charming favour of his smiling face, 

Into his image fair transforms her soul,* 

And wafts her upwards to the heav'nly pole, 

From glory unto glory by degrees, . 

Till vision and fruition shall suffice ; 

And thus in holy beauty Jesus' bride 

Shines far beyond the painted sons of pride, 

Vain merit- vouchers, and their subtle apes, 

In all their most refin'd delusive shapes. 

No lawful child is ere the marriage born ; 

Though therefore virtues feign'd their life adorn. 

The fruit they bear is but a spurious brood, 

Before this happy marriage be made good. 

And 'tis not strange •, for, from a corrupt tree 

Ho fruit divinely good produced can be J, 

But, lo ! the bride, graft in the living Root, 

Brings forth most precious aromatic fruit. 

When her new heart and her new Husband meet, 

Her fruitful womb is like a heap of wheat, 

Beset with fragrant lilies round about %> -j 

All divine graces, in a comely rout, L 

Burning within, and shining bright without. j 

And thus the bride, as sacred scripture saith, 

When dead unto the law through Jesus' death §, 

And matched with him, bears to her God and Lord 

Accepted fruit, with incense pure decor'd, 

freed from law- debt, and bless 'd with gospel ease, 

Her work is now her dearest Lord to please, 

By living on him as her ample stock, 

And leaning to him as her potent rock. 

* 2 Cor. iii. 18. t M^t. vii. 17. 18. i Cant. vii. 2. 

^ Rom. vii. 4. 



Chap. III. THE believer's espousals. 

The fruit, that each law-wedded mortal brings 

To self accresses, as from self it springs. 

So base a rise must have a base recourse, 

The stream can mount no higher than its source. 

But Jesus can his bride's sweet fruit commend, 

As brought from him the root, to him the end. 

She does by such an offspring him avow 

To be her Alpha and Omega too. 

The work and warfare he begins, he crowns, 

Though maugre various conflicts, ups and downs. 

Thus thro' the darksome vale she makes her way, 

Until the morning dawn of glory's day. 

SECT. III. — True saving faith magnifying the law 
both as a covenant and as a rule. False faith u?i- 
fruitful and ruining. 

"pROUD nature may reject this gospel-theme, 

-■- And curse it as an Antinomian scheme. 

Let slander bark, let envy grin and fight, 

The curse that is so causeless shall not light. * 

If they that fain would make by holy force 

'Twixt sinners and the law a clean divorce, 

And court the Lamb a virgin chaste to wife, 

Be charged as foes to holiness of life, 

Well may they gladly suffer on this score, 

Apostles great were so malign'd before. 

Do we make void the law through faith ? Nay, why. 

We do it more fulfil and. magnify 

Than fiery seraphs can with holiest flash ; 

Avaunt, vain legalists, unworthy trash. 

When as a cov riant stern the law commands, 
Faith puts her Lamb's obedience in its hands ; 
And when its threats gush' out a fiery flood, 
Faith stops the current with her victim's blood. 
The law can crave no more, yet craves no less 3 
Than active, passive, perfect righteousness. 

* Pro v. xxvi. 2. \ Rom. iii. 21. 



56 GOSPEL SONNETS. Parti. 

Yet here is all, yea, more than its demand, 
All rendered to it by a divine hand. 
Mankind is bound law-service still to pay, 
Yea, angel-kind is also bound t' obey. 
It may by human and angelic blaze 
Have honour, but in finite, partial ways. 
These natures have its lustre once defac'd, 
? Twill be by part of both for ay disgraced, 
Yet, had they all obsequious stood and true, 
They'd giv'n the law no more than homage due. 
But faith gives't honour yet more great, more odd, 
The high, the humble service of its God. 

Again, to view the holy law's command, 
As lodged in a Mediator's hand ; 
Faith gives it honour, as a rule of life. 
And makes the bride the Lamb's obedient wife. 
Due homage to the law those never did, 
To whom th' obedience pure of faith is hid. 
Faith works by fove, * and purifies the hearty f 
And truth advances in the inward part ; 
On carnal hearts impresses divine stamps, 
And sully'd lives inverts to shining lamps. 
From Abram's seed, that are most strong in faith, 
7 he law most honour, God most glory hath ; 
But due respect to neither can be found, 
Where unbelief ne'er got a mortal, wound, *> 

To still the virtue-vaunters empty sound. > 

Good works he boasts, a path he never trode J 

Who is not yet the workmanship of God> \ 
In Jesus thereunto created nenx)> 

Nois'd works that spring not hence are but a shew. 
True faith, that's of a noble, divine race,. 
Is still a holy, sanctifying grace : 
And greater honour to the law does share, 
Than boasters all that breathe the vital air. 
Ev'n heathen morals vastly may outshine 
The works that flow not from a faith divine. 

* Eph. ii. 10. f Gal. v. 9. \ Eph. Hi. 9. 



Chap. III. THE BELIEVER'S ESPOUSALS. 

Pretensions high to faith a number have, 
But, ah ! it is a faith that cannot save : 
We trust, say they, in Christ, we hope in God : 
Nor blush to blaze their rotten faith abroad. 
Nor try the trust of which they make a shew, 
If of a saving or a damping hue. 
They own their sins are ill ; true — but 'tis sad 
They never thought their faith and hope were bad. 
How evident's their home-bred nat'ral blaze, 
_ Who dream they have believ'd well all their days •, 
Yet never felt their unbelief, nor knew ♦ 
Their need of pow'r their nature to renew. 
Blind souls, who boast of faith, yet live in sin, 
May hence conclude their faith is to begin, 
Or know they shall, by "such an airy faith, 
Believe themselves to everlasting wrath. 
Faith, that nor leads to good, nor keeps from ill, 
Will never lead tc heaven, nor keep from hell. 
The body without breath is dead ; § no less 
Is faith without the works of holiness.* . 
How rare is saving faith, when earth is cramm'd 
With such as will believe, and yet be darnn'd ; 
Believe the gospel, yet with dread and awe 
Have never truly first believ'd the law. 
That matters shall be well, they hope too soon 
Who never yet have seen they were undone. 
Can of salvation their belief be true 
Who never yet believ'd damnation due ? 
Can these of endless life have solid faith 
Who never fear'd law threats of endless death ? 
Nay, sail'd they han't yet to the heating shore, 
Who never felt their sinful, woeful sore. 

Imaginary faith is but a blind, 
Which bears no fruit but of a deadly kind : 
Nor can, from such a wild unwholesome root, 
The least production rise of living fruit. 

§■ James li. 26, * James Ji. 17. 10. 



5S GOSPEL SONN£TS. % Part I. 

But saving faith can such an offspring breed, 
Her native product is a holy seed. 
The fairest issues of the vital breath 
Spring from the fertile womb of heav'n-horn faith ^ 
Yet boasts she nothing of her own, but brings 
Auxiliaries from the King of kings, 
Who graves his royal law in rocky hearts, 
And gracious aid in sofc'iiing showers imparts; 
This gives prolific virtue to the faith 
Inspired at first by his almighty breath, 
Hence, fetching all her succours from abroad, 
She still employs this mighty pow'r of God. 
Drain'd clean of native pow'rs and legal aims. 
No strength but in and from Jehovah claims y 
And thus her service to the law o'ertops 
The tow'ring zeal of Pharisaic fops, 

SECT. IV.— The Believer only being married to Christy 
is justified and sanctified : and the more gospel free- 
dom from the law as a covenant, the more holy con- 
formity to it as a rule. 

npHUS doth the Husband by his Father's will 
-*- Both for and in his bride the law fulfil ; 
For her, as 'tis a covenant \ and then 
In her, as 'tis a rule of life to men. 
First, all law-debt he most completely pays 
Then of law-duties all the charge defrays. 
Does first assume her guilt, and loose her chains, 
And then with living water wash her stains \ 
Her fund restore, and then her form repair, 
And make his filthy bride a beauty fair ; 
His perfect righteousness most freely grant, 
And then his holy image deep implant ; 
Into her heart his precious seed indrop, 
Which} in his time, will yield a glorious crop. 
But by alternate turns his plants he brings 
Through robbing winters and repairing springs. 



Chap. III. ^HE BELIEVER'S ESPOUSALS. 

Hence, pining oft, they suffer 'd sad decays, 
By dint of shady nights and stormy days. 
But blest with sap, and influence from above, 
They live and grow anew in faith and love •, 
Until transplanted to the higher soil, 
While furies tread no more, nor foxes spoil. 
Where Christ the living root remains on high* 
The noble plant of grace can never die ; 
Nature decays, and so will all the fruit . 
That merely rises on a mortal root. 
Their works, however splendid, are but dead, 
That from a living fountain don't proceed ; 
Their fairest fruit is but a garnish'd shrine, 
That are not grafted in the glorious Vine. 
Devoutest hypocrites are rank'd in rolls 
Of painted puppets, not of living souls. 

No offspring but of Christ's fair bride is good, 
This happy marriage has a holy brood. 
Let sinners learn this mystery to read, 
We bear to glorious Christ no precious seed, 
Till through the law, we to the law be dead* 
No true obedience to the law, but forc'd, 
Can any yield, till from the law divorc'd. 
Nor to it> as a rule is homage giv'n, 
T\\\ from it, as a covenant, men be driv'n. 
Yea more, till once they this divorce attain, 
Divorce from sin they but attempt in vain ; 
The cursed yoke of sin they basely draw, 
Till once unyoked from the cursing law. 
Sin's full dominion keeps its native place, 
While men are under law, not under grace. \ 
For mighty hills of enmity wont move, * 

Till touch'd by conqu'ring grace and mighty love. 

Were but -the gospel-secret understood \ 
How God can pardon where he sees no good ; 
How grace and mercy free, that can't be bought, 
Reign through a righteousness already wrought : 

* Gal. ii. 19. \ Rom. vi. 14* 



60 GOSPEL sonnets. Part I. 

Where woeful reigning unbelief depos'd, 

Mysterious grace to blinded minds disclos'd : 

Did Heav'n with gospel-news its pow'r convey, 1 

And sinners hear a faithful God but say, > 

* No more law-debt remains for you to pay ; J 

< Lo, by the loving Surety, all's discharg'd,' 

Their hearts behov'd with love to be enlarg'd : 

Love y the succinct fulfilling of the law, § 

Were then the easy yoke they'd sweetly draw ; 

Love would constrain, and to his service move, 

Who left them nothing else to do but love, 

Slight now his loving precepts if they can ; 

No, no ; his conqu'ring kindness leads the van. 

When everlasting love exerts the sway, 

Th,ey judge themselves more kindly bound t' obey, 

Bound by redeeming love in stricter sense 

Than ever Adam was in innocence. 

Why now they are not bound, as formerly, 

To do and live> nor yet -to do or die • 

Both life and death are put in Jesus 7 hands, 

Who urges neither in his kind commands, 

Not servile work their life and heav'n to win, 

Nor slavish labour death and hell to shun. 

Their aims are purer, since they understood, [blood, 

Their heav'n was bought, their hell was quench'd with 

The oars of gospel-service now. they steer, 

Without or legal hope or slavish fear. 

The bride in sweet security can dwell, 
Nor bound to purchase heav'n, nor vanquish hell : 
But bound for him the race of love to run, 
Whose love to her left none of these undone ; 
She's bound to be the Lamb's obedient wife, 
And in his strength to serve him during life \ 
To glorify his loving name for ay, 
Who left her not a single mite to pay 
Of legal debt, but wrote for her at large, 
In characters of blood, a full discharge. 
* Rom. xiii. 10. 



Chap. III. THE believer's espousals. 6l 

Henceforth no servile task her labours prove, 
But grateful fruits of reverential love, 

SECT. V. — Gospel- grace giving no liberty ncr freedom 
to sin y but to holy service and pure obedience. 

THE glorious Husband's love can't lead the wife 
To whoredom or licentiousness of life : 
Nay, nay ; she finds his warmest love within 
The hottest fire to melt her heart for sin. 
His kind embrace is still the strongest cord 
To bind her to the service of her Lord. 
The more her faith insures this love of his, 
The more his law her delectation is. 
Some dream, they might, who his assurance win, 
Take latitude and liberty to sin. 
Ah ! such bewray their ignorance, and prove 1 

They want the lively sense of drawing love ; > 

And how its sweet constraining force can move, J 
The ark of grace came never in to dwell, 
But Dagon-lusts before it headlong fell. 
Men basely can unto lasciviousness 
Abuse the doctrine, not the work of grace. 
Huggers of divine love in vice's path, 
Have but the fancy of it, not the faith. 
They never soar'd aloft on grace's wing, 
That knew not grace to be a holy thing : 
When pregnant she the pow'rs of hell appals. 
And sin's dominion in the ruin falls. 
Gurs'd is the crew whose Antinomian dress 
Makes grace a cover to their idleness. 
The bride of Christ will sure be very loth 
To make his love a pillow for her sloth. 
Why, may'nt she sin the more that grace abounds ? 
Oh, God forbid ! the very thought confounds, 
When dead unto the law, she's dead to sin j 
How can she any longer live therein ? * 

* Rom. vi. 1, 2. 

F 



62 GOSPEL sonnets. Part I 

To neither of them is she now a slave, 

But shares the conquest of the great, the brave, 

The mighty Gen'rai, her victorious Head, 

Who broke the double chain to free the bride. 

Hence, prompted now with gratitude and love, 

Her cheerful feet in swift obedience move. 

More strong the cords of love to duty draw, 

Than hell, and all the curses of the law. 

When with seraphic love the breast's inspir'd, 

By ihat are all the other graces fir'd j 

These kindling round, the burning heart and frame, 

In life and walk send forth a holy flame. 

CHAP. IV. 

A Caution to all against a legal spirit ; especi- 
ally to those that have a profession without 
power, and learning without grace. 

XM7~HY, says the haughty heart of legalists, 
* * Bound to the law of works by nat'ral twists, 

( Why such ado about a law-divorce ? 

1 Men's lives are bad, and would you have them worse? 

c Such Antinomian stuff, with labour'd toil, 

< Would human beauty's native lustre spoil. 

( What wickedness beneath the cov'ring lurks, 
c That lewdiy would divorce us all from works ? 

* Why such a stir about the law and grace ? 

* We know that merit cannot now take place. 

< And what needs more i r Well, to let slander drop, 
Be merit for a little here the scope. 

Ah ! many learn to lisp in gospel-terms, 
Who yet embrace the law with legal arms. 
By wholesome education some are taught* 
To own that human merit now is naught ; 
Who faintly but renounce proud merit's name, 
And cleave refin'dly to the Popish scheme. 
For graceful works expecting divine bliss, 
And, when they fail, trust Christ for what's amiss. 



CSap, IV. THE believer's ESPOUSALS, • 63 

Thus to his righteousness profess to flee, 

Yet by it still would their own saviours be. 

They seem to works of merit bloody foes, 

Yet seek salvation as it were * by those. 

Blind Gentiles found, who did nor seek nor know, 

But Isra'l lost it whole, who sought it so, 

Let all that love to wear the legal dress, 
Know, that as sin, so bastard righteousness 
lias slain its thousands, who in tow'ring pride 
The righteousness of Jesus Christ deride ; 
A robe divinely wrought, divinely won, 
Yet cast by men for robes that are their own. 
But some to legal works seem whole deny'd> 
Yet would by gospel-works be justify'd, 
By faith, repentance, love, and other such : r > 

These dreamers being righteous overmuch, > 

Like Uzza, give the ark a wrongful touch. J 

By legal deeds, however gospeliz'd, 
Can e'er tremendous justice be appeas'd, 
Or sinners justify'd before that God 
Whose law is perfect, and exceeding broad ? 
Nay, faith itself, that leading gospel-grace,' 
Holds as a work no justifying place. 
Just Heav'n to man for righteousness imputes 
Not fakh itself, or in its acts or fruits ; 
But Jesus' meritorious life and death, 
Faith's proper object, all the honour hath. 
From this doth faith derive its glorious fame, 
Its great renown and justifying name •, 
Receiving all tilings, but deserving nought ; 
By faith alPs begg'd and taken, nothing bought. 
Its highest name is from the wedding vote, 
So instrumental in the marriage knot. 
Jehovah leads the bride in that blest hour, 
TK exceeding greatness of his miglity poiv'r ; f 
Which sweetly does her heart- consent command^ 
To reach the wealthy Prince her naked. hand. 

* Rom. ix 32. f Eph. viklS.. 



6f GOSPEL sonnets. Part I 

For close to his embrace she'd never stir, 
If first his loving arms embrae'd not her : 
But this he does by kindly gradual chace, 
OH rousing, raising, reaching, drawing grace, 
He shews her, in his sweetest love address, 
His glory as the Sun. of righteousness •, 
At which all dying glories earth adorn, 
Shrink like the sick moon at the wholesome morn. 
This glorious Sun arising with a grace, 
Dark shades of creature-righteousness to chase, 
Faith now disclaims itself, and all the train 1 

Of virtues formerly accounted gain ; > 

And counts them dung,* with holy, meek disdain, j 
For now appears the height, the depth immense 
Of divine bounty and benevolence; 
Amazing mercy ! ignorant of bounds ! 
Which most enlarged faculties confounds. 
How vain, how void now seem the vulgar charms, 
The monarch's pomp of courts, and pride of arms ? 
The boasted beauties of the human kind, 
The pow'rs of body, and the gifts of mind ? 
Lo ! in the grandeur of Immanuei's train, 
All's swallowed up as rivers in the main. 
He's seea, when gospel light and sight is giv'n. 
Encompassed round with all the pomp of heav'n, 
The soul, now taught of God, sees human schools 
Make Chrisdess rabbis only lit'rate fools \ 
And that, till divine teaching pow'rful draw, 
No learning will divorce them from the law. 
Mere argument may clear the head, and force 
A verbal, not a cordial clean divorce. 
Hence many, taught the wholesome terms of art, 
Have gospel heads, but still a legal heart. 
Fill sov'reign grace and pow'r the sinner catch, 
He takes not Jesus for his on]y match. 
Nay, works complete ! ah ! true, however odd. 
Dead works are rivals with the living God. 
• Piu^m. 7. ?. 



Chap. V. THE believer's ESPOUSALS, $£ 

Till heavVs preventing mercy clear .the sight, 
Confound the pride with supernat'ral light : 
No haughty soul of human kind is brought 
To mortify her self-exalting thought. 

Yet holiest creatures in clay-tents that lodge, 
Be but their lives scann'd by the dreadful Judge \ 
How shall they e'er his awful search endure. 
Before whose purest eyes heav'n is not pure ? 
How must their black indictment be enlarg'd, 
When by him angels are with folly charged ? 
What human worth shall stand, when he shall scan ? 
O may his glory stain the pride of man. 

How wond'rous are the tracks of divine grace ! 
How searchless are his ways, how vast th' abyss !-■ 
Let haughty reason stoop, and fear to leap j 
Angelic plummets cannot found the deep. 
With scorn he turns his eyes from haughty kings, 
With pleasure looks on low and worthless things \ 
Deep are his judgments, sov'reign is his will, 
Let ev'ry mortal worm be dumb, be still, 
In vain proud reason swells beyond its bound ; 
God and his counsels are a gulf profound, 
An ocean wherein all our thoughts are drown'd 

CHAP. V. 



i 



Arguments and Encouragements to Gospel 
Ministers to avoid a legal strain of doctrine y 
and endeavour the sinner's match witli 
Christ by gospel-means. 

SECT. I. — A legal Spirit the root of damnable. Errors,, 

^TE heralds great, that, blow in name of God 
-*■ The silver trump of gospel-grace abroad \ 
And sound by warrant from the great I AM, 
The nuptial treaty with the worthy Lamb y 
I 3 



66 GOSPEL SONNETS. Pail I 

Might ye but stoop th' unpolish'd muse to brook, 
And from a shrub an wholesome berry pluck ; 
Ye'd take encouragement from what is said, -* 

By gospel-means to make the marriage-bed, L 

And to your glorious Lord a virgin chaste to wed. J 

The more proud nature bears a legal sway, 
The more should preachers bend the gospel-way : 
Oft in the church arise destructive schisms 
From a-nti- evangelic aphorisms ; 
A legal spirit may be justly nam'd 
The fertile womb of ev'ry error dama'd. 

Hence Pop'ry, so connat'ral since the fall, 
Makes legal works like saviours merit all ; 
Yea, more than merit on their shoulder loads, 
To supererogate like demi-gods. 

Hence proud Socinians seat their reason high 
'Bove ev'ry precious gospel- mystery, 
Its divine Author stab, and without fear. 
The purple covert of his chariot tear. 

With these run Arian monsters in a line, 
All gospel-truth at once to undermine ! 
To darken and delete, like hellish foes, 
The brightest colour of the Sharon Rose. 
At best its human red they but decry 
That blot the ciivine white, the native dye. 

Hence dare Arminians too, with brazen face, 
Give man's free-will the throne of God's free grace, 
Whose self-exalting tenets clearly shew 
Great ignorance bf law and gospel too. 

Hence Neonomians-spring, as sundry call 
The new law-makers to redress our fall. 
The law of works, into repentance, faith, 
Is chang'd, as their Baxterian Eible saith. 
Shaping the gospel to an easy law, 
They build their tott'ring house with hay and straw, 
Yet hide, like Rachel's idols in the stuff, 
Their legal hands witnin a gospel muff. 



Chap. V. THE BELIILVER'S ESPOUSALS. 6? 

Yea, hence springs Antinomian vile refuse. 
Whose gross abettors gospel grace abuse \ 
Unskill'd how grace's silken latchet binds 
Her captives to the law with willing minds. 

SECT. II. — A legal strain of doctrine discovered and 
discarded. 

1VJO wonder Paul the legal spirit curse, 

-^ Of fatal errors such a feeding nurse. 

He, in Jehovah's great tremendous name, 

Condemns perverters of the gospel scheme. 

He damn'd the sophistuciide, the babbling priest 

Would venture to corrupt it in the least ; 

Yea, curs'd the heavenly angel down to hell 

Who, daring, would another gospel tell. § 

Which crime is charg'd on these that dare dispense 

The self-same gospel in another sense. 

Christ is not preach'd in truth, but in disguise, 
If his bright glory half obscured lies. 
When gospel soldiers, that divide the word, 
Scarce brandish any but the legal sword ; 
While Christ the Author of the law they press, 
More than the End of it for righteousness ; 
Christ as a Seeker of our service tracer- 
More than a Giver of enabling grace j 
The King commanding holiness they show 
More than the Prince exalted to bestow : 
Yea more on Christ the sin- revenger dwell, 
Than Christ Redeemer both from sin and hell, 

With legal spade the gospel- field he delves 
Who thus drives sinners in unto themselves ; 
Halving the truth, that should be all reveal'd, 
The sweetest part of Christ is oft conceaPd. 
We bid men turn from sin, but seldom say, 
< Behold the Lamb that takes all sin away !* 
Chr/ist, by the gospel rightly understood, 
Not only treats a peace, but makes it good, 

§ Gal. i. 7, a. 



I 



6*& GOSPLL SONNETS. Part L 

Those suitors therefore af the bride, who hope 

By force to drag .her^wth the legal rope, 

Nor use the drawing, cord of conqu'ring grace, 

Pursue with flaming zeal a fruitless chace j 

In vain lame doings urge, with solemn awe, 

To bribe the fury of the fiery law : 

With equal success to the fool that aims 

By paper wails to bound devouring flames. 

The law's but mock'd by their most graceful deed, 

Who wed not first the law-fulfilling Head \ 

It values neither how they wrought nor wept 

Who slight the ark wherein alone 'tis kept. 

Yet legalists Do, Do, with ardour press, 

And with preposterous zeal and warm 'address 

Would seem the greatest friends to holiness ; 

But vainly, could such opposites accord, 

Respect the law, and yet reject the Lord. 

They shew not Jesus as the way to bli$s^ 

But Judas like, betray him with a kiss 

Of boasted works, or mere profession puft, 

Law-boasters, proving but law-breakers oft. 

SECT. III. — The liurtfulness of not preaching Christ, 
and distinguishing duly between law and gospel. 

TJELL cares not how crude holiness be preach'd, 

-*--■- If sinners' match with Christ be never reach'd ^ 

Knowing their holiness is but a sham, 

Who ne'er are married to the Holy Lamb. 

Let words have ever such a pious shew, 

And blaze aloft in rude professor's view. 

With sacred aromatics richly spic'd, 

If they but drown in silence glorious Christ : 

Or, if he may some vacant room supply, 

Make him a subject only by the bye ; 

They mar true holiness with tickling chat, 

To breed a bastard Pharisaic brat. 

They woefully the gospel message broke, 

Make fearful havock of the Master's flock s, 



Chap. V. THE believer's espousals. 69 

Yet please themselves, and the blind multitude, 
By whom the gospel's little understood. 

Rude souls perhaps imagine little odds 
Between the legal and the gospel roads : 
But vainly men attempt to blend the two ; 
They differ more than Christ and Moses do. 
Moses, evangelising in a shade, 
By types the news of light approaching spread \ 
But from the law of works by him proclaim'd, 
No ra.y of gospel grace or mercy gleanrd. 
By nature's light, the law to all is known, 
But lightsome news of gospel grace to none, 
The doing covenant now, in part or whole, 
Is strong to damn, but weak to save a soul. 
It hurts, and cannot help, but as it tends 
Thro' mercy to subserve some gospel ends. 
Law-thunder roughly to the gospel tames, 
The gospel mildly to the law reclaims. 
The fiery law, as 'tis a covenant, 
Schools men to see the gospel aid they want ; 
Then gospel aid does sweetly them incline 
Back to the law, as 'tis a rule divine. 
Heaven's healing work is of? .' "commenc'd with wounds, 
Terror begins what loving-kindness crowns. 
Preachers may therefore press the fiery law, 
To strike the Christless man with dreadful awe. 
Law threats which for his sins to hell depress, 
Yea, damn him for his rotten righteousness; 
That while he views the law exceeding broad, 
He fain may wed the righteousness of God. 

But, ah ! to press law- works as terms of life, 
Was ne'er the way to court the Lamb a wife. 
To urge conditions in the legal frame, 
Is to renew the vain old covenant grme. 
The law is good, when lawfully 'tis us'd,* 
But most destructive when it is'abus'd. 



70 GOSPEL sonnets. Part I. 

They set no duties in their proper sphere, 
Who duly law and gospel don't sever ; 
But under massy chains let sinners lie, 
As tributaries or to Do or Die •, 
Nor make the law a squaring rule of life. 
But in the gospel throat a. bloody knife. 

SECT, IV, — Damnable Pride and Self-righteousness, so- 
natural to all rnen % ha: Utile need to be encouraged bj/ 
legal fir tacking. 

r¥!HE legal path proud nature loves so well, 
■*• (Tho' yet 'tk but the cleanest road to hell,} 
That lo ! ev'n these that take the foulest ways, 
Whose lewdness no controuling bridle stays, 
If but their drowsy conscience raise its voice, 
'Twill speak the law of works their native choice, 
And echo to the rousing sound, <Ah, true, 
1 I cannot hope to live, unless I DO;' 
No conscious breast of mortal kind can trace 
The mystery deep of being sav T d by grace. 
Of this nor is the natural conscience skill'd, 
Nor will admit it, when it is reveal'd •, 
But pushes at the gospel like a ram, 
As proxy for the law, against the Lamb. 
The proud, self-righteous, Pharisaic strain, 
Is, c Blest be God, I'm not like other men - 9 
' I read and pray, give alms, I mourn and fast* ; 

< And therefore hope I'll get to heaven at last : 

< For though from every sin I be not free, 

1 Great multitudes of men are worse than me. 

c Pm none of those that swear, cheat, drink & whore.' 

Thus on the law he builds his Babel tower. 

Yea, ev'n the vilest cursed debauchee / *") 
Will make the law of works his very plea ; > 

f Why, (says the rake) what take you. me to be ? J 

* Luke sv.iii, 1.1, 12* 



Chap. V. THE believer's espousals. 71 

¥ A Turk, or infidel ; (you lie,) I can't ~% 

< Be term'd so base, but by a sycophant ; C 
4 Only I hate to act the whining saint. \ 

< I am a Christian true ; and therefore bode 

* It shall be well with me, I hope in God. 
« An't I an honest man r yea, I defy 

< The tongue that dare assert mack to mine eye.' 
Perhaps, when the reprover turns his back, 
He'll vend the viler wares o' 's open'd pack, 

And with his fellows, in a strain more big, * ' 

4 Bid damn the base uncharitable whig. 

< These scoundrel hypocrites (he'll proudly S2y) 
Think none shall ever merit heav'n but they, 

i And yet we may compete with them j for see, 

< The best have blemishes as well as we. 

< We have as good a heart (we trust) as these, 

< Tho' not with vain superfluous shew and blaze. 
« Bigotted zealots, whose sole crimes are hid^ 

« Would damn us all to hell ; but God forbid. 

< Whatever such a whining sect profess, 
c 'Tisbut a nice, morose, affected dress. 

* And though we don't pretend so much as they, 
? We hope to compass heav'n a shorter way ; 

6 We seek God's mercy, and are all along 

< Most free of malice, and do no man wrong. 
« Bi}t whims fantastic shan't our heads annoy, 
« That would our social liberties destroy. 

« Sure, right religion never was design'd 

< To mar the native mirth of human kind.1 

< How weak are thosethat would bethought nonsuch f 
« How mad, that would be righteous overmuch I 

:* We have sufficient, though we be not cramm'd ; 

* We'll therefore hope the best, let them be damn'd.* 

Ah, horrid talk ! yet so the legal strain 
Lards e'en the language of the most profane. 
Thus dev'lish pride overlooks a thousand faults, 
And on a legal ground itself exalts. 



72 GOSPEL sonnets. Part. 

This DO and LIVE, though doing pow'r be lost, 
In ev'ry mortal is proud nature's boast. 
How does a vain conceit of goodness swell, 
And feed false hope, amidst the shades of hell ? 
Shall we, who should by gospel-methods draw, 
Send sinners to their nat'ral spouse the law \ 
And harp upon the doing string to such, 
Who ignjrantly dream they do so much ? 
Why, thus, instead of courting Christ a bride, 
We harden rebels in their native pride. 

Much rather ought we in God's name to place 
His great artill'ry straight against their face ; 
And throw hot Sinai thunderbolts around, 
To burn their tow'ring hopes down to the ground. 
To make the pillars of their pride to shake, 
And damn their doings to the burning lake, 
To curse the doers unto endless thrall, 
That never did continue to do all* 
To scorch their conscience with the flaming air, 
And sink their haughty hopes in deep despair ; 
Denouncing EbaPs black revenging doom, 
To blast their expectation in the bloom ; 
Till once vain hope of life by works give place 
Unto a solid hope of life by grace. 
The vig'rous use of means is safely urg'd, 
When pressing calls from legal dregs are purg'd $ 
But most unsafely in a fed'ral dress, 
Confounding terms of life with means of grace. 
Oh ! dang'rous is th' attempt proud flesh to please, 
Or send a sinner to the law for ease ; 
Who rather needs to feel its piercing dart, 
Till dreadful pangs invade his trembling heart ; 
And thither should be only sent for flames 
Of fire to burn his rotten hopes and claims ; 
That thus disarm'd, he gladly may embrace, 
And grasp with eagerness the news of grace. 

* Gal. iii. 10. 



Chap. V. THE BELIEVER'S ESPOUSALS. 



SECT. V -The gospel of divine Grace the only means 

of converting sinners 3 and should be preached therefore 
most clear ly^ fully ^ and freely. 

THEY ought, who royal grace's heralds be, 
To trumpet loud salvation, full and free : 
Nor safely can, to humour mortal pride, 
In silence evangelic myst'ries hide. 
What heav'n is pleas'd to ^give, dare we refuse, 
Or under ground conceal, lest men abuse ? 
Suppress the gospel- flow'r, upon pretence 
That some vile spiders may suck poison thence ? 
Christ is a stumbling block *, shall we neglect 
To preach him, lest the blind should break their neck ? 
That high he's for the fall of many set 
As well as for the rrsef, must prove no let. 
No grain of precious truth must be supprest, 
Though reprobates should to their ruin wrest. 
Shall heav'n's coruscant lamp be dimm'd, that pays 
Its daily tribute down in golden rays, 
Because some, blinded with the blazing gleams, 
Share not the pleasure of the lightning beams : 
Let those be hard'ned, petrify'd and harm'd, 
The rest are mollify'd, and kindly warm'd. 
A various savour J, flowers in grace's field, 
Of life to some, of death to others yield. 
Must then the rose be vail'd, the lily hide, 
The fragrant savour stifled ! God forbid. 

The revelation of the gospel-flowV 
Is still the organ fam'd of saving pow'r ; 
Most justly then are legal minds condemn'd, 
That of the glorious gospel are asham'd : 
For this the divine arm, and only this, 
The power of God unto salvation is. 

* 1 Cor. i. 23. f Luke ii. 34. \ 2 Cor. ii. 1$. 

G 



74 gospel sonnets. Part I, 

For therein is reveal* d y to. screen from wrath, 

The righteousness of God from faith to faith *. 

The happy change in guilty sinners case 

They owe to free displays of sov'reign grace ; 

Whose joyful tidings of amazing love 

The ministration of the Spirit prove. 

The glorious vent the gospel-news express, 

Of God's free grace, thro' Christ's full righteousness, 

Is heav'n's gay chariot where the Spirit bides, 

And in his conqu'ring pow'r triumphant rides. 

The gospel-field is still the Spirit's soil, 

The golden pipe that bears the holy oil ; 

The orb where he outshines the radiant sun, 

The silver channel where his graces run. 

Within the gospel-banks his flowing tide 

Of light'ning, quick'ning motions, sweetly glide. 

Received ye the Spirit , scripture saith f , 

By legal works, or by the word of faith ? 

If by the gospel only, then let none 

Dare to be wiser than the wisest One. 

We must, who freely get, as freely give 
The vital word that makes the dead to live. 
For ev'n to sinners dead within our reach 
We in his living name may most successful preach. 

The Spirit and the scripture both agree 
Jointly, (says Christ) To testify of me\, 
The preacher then will from his text decline, 
That scorns to harmonize with this design. 
Press moral duties to the last degree ; 
Wny not -? but mind, lest we successless be, 
No light, no hope, no strength for duties spring, 
Where Jesus is not Prophet, Priest, and King. 
No light to see the way, unless he teach. 
No joyful hope, save in his blood we reach, 
Nor strength, unless his royal arm he stretch. 

• Rom. i. 26. 27. f Gal iii. 2. t John xv. 2C. v. SO 






Chap. V. THE BELIEVER'S ESPOUSALS. 75 

Then from our leading scope how gross we fall, 

If, like his name, in ev'ry gospel call, 

We make not him the First, the Last, the All ! 

Our office is to bear the radiant torch 
Of gespel-light into the darkened porch 
Of human understandings, and display 
The joyful dawn of everlasting day ; 
To draw the golden chariot of free grace, 
The dark'ned shades with shining rays to chase, 
Till heav'n's bright lamp on circling wheels be hurl'd, 
With sparkling grandeur, round the dusky world j 
And thus to bring, in dying mortals sight, 
New life and immortality ta light.* 
WeVe charg'd to preach the gospel, unconfin'd, 
To ev'ry creature f of the human kind ; 
To call, with tenders of salvation free, 
All corners of the earth to come and see : £ 
And ev'ry sinner must excuseless make* 
By urging rich and poor to come and take. $ 
Ho, eifry one that thirsts, % is grace's call 
Direct to needy sinners great and small ; 
Not meaning those alone, whose holy thirst 
Denominates their souls already blest. 
If only those were call'd, then none but saints; 
Nor would the gospel suit the sinner's wants. 
But here the call does signally import 
Sinners and thirsty souls of ev'ry sort ; 
And mainly to their door the message brings, 
Who yet are thirsting after empty things ; 
< Who spend their means no living bread to buy, 
c And pains for that which cannot satisfy.' 
Such thirsty sinners here invited are, 
Who vainly spend their money, thought, and care, 
On passing shades, vile lusts, and trash so base, 
As yield immortal souls no true solace. 

* 2 Tim. j. 10. f Mark xvi. 15 4 Isa. xlv. 22. John i. 39. 4S 
5 Rev. xxii. 17. Isa. lv. 1, 2. 



76 GOSPEL sonnets. Part L 

The call directs them, as they would be blest, 

To chuse a purer object of their thirst. 

All are invited by the joyful sound 

To drink who need, as does the parched ground, 

Whose wide-mouth'd clefts speak to the brazen sky 

Its passive thirst, without an active cry. 

The gospel -preacher, then, with holy skill, 
Must offer Christ to whomsoever will, 
To sinners of all sorts that can be nam'd \ 
The blind, the lame 3 the poor, the halt, the mainrd.* 
Not daring to restrict th' extensive call, 
But op'ning wide the net to catch them all. 
No soul must be excluded that will come, 
Nor right of access be confln i to some. 
Though none will come till conscious of their want, 
Y ?t right they have to come by sov'reign grant 5 
Christ, his promise, and his grace, 
xre damn'd who hear and don't embrace. 
•So freely is th' unbounded call dispens'd, 
We therein find ev'n sinners unconvinc'd ; 
Who know not they are naked, blind, and poor, f T 
Counseled to buy or beg at Jesus' door, (store. > 
And take the glorious robe, eye-salve, and golden- j 
This prize they are oblig'd by faith to win, 
Else unbelief would never be their sin, 
Yea, gospel offers but a sham we make, 
If ev'ry sinner has not right to take. 
Be gospeWieralds fortify'd from this, 
To trumpet grace, howe'er the serpent hiss. 
Did hell's malicious mouth in dreadful shape 
'Gainst innocence itself malignant gape ? 
Then sacred truth's devoted vouchers may 
For dire reproach their measures constant lay. 
With cruel calumny of old commenc'd, 
This sect will evry-where be spake against ; % 

* Luke xiv. 21. f Rev - iij '- 17 ' ls - t Acfs xxvi ^ <2 -' 



Chap. VI. THE BELIEVER^ ESPOUSALS. 77 

While to and fro he runs the earth across, 
Whose name is adelphon kategoros.* 
In spite of hell be then our constant strife 
To win the glorious Lamb a virgin-wife. 

CHAP. VI. 

An Exhortation to all that are out of Christ, 
in order to their closing thematchwith hira; 
containing also motives and directions. 

READER, into thine hands these lines are giv'n, 
But not without the providence of Heav'n ; 
Or to advance thy bliss, if thou art wise, 
Or aggravate thy woe, if thou despise. 
For thee, for thee, perhaps, th' omniscient ken; 
Has form'd the counsel here, and led the pen. 
The writer then does thy attention plead, 
In his great name that gave thee eyes to read. 

SECT. I — Conviction offered to Sinners, especially such 
as^ are wedded strictly to the law y or self righteous } that 
they may see the need of Christ's righteousness. 

"¥ F never yet thou didst fair Jesus wed, 

-■* Nor yield thy heart to be his marriage-bed. 

But hitherto art wedded to the law, 

Which never could thy chain'd affections draw 

From brutish lusts and sordid lover's charms ; 

Lo ! thou art yet in Satan's folded arms. 

Hell's pow'r invisible thy soul retains 

His captive slave, lock'd up in massy chains. 

O, sinner ! then, as thou regard'st thy life. *\ 

Seek, seek, with ardent care and earnest strife, C 

To be the glorious Lamb's betrothed wife, \ 

For base co-rivals never let him lose 

Thy heart, his bed. of conjugal repose. 

* Or, The accuser of the brethren 

G3 



78 GOSPEL SONNETS. Part I. 

"Wed Christ alone, and with severe remorse T 

From other mates pursue a clean divorce ; > 

For they thy ruin seek by fraud or force. J 

As lurking serpents in the shady bow'rs 
Conceal their malice under spreading flow'rs ; 
So thy deceitful lusts with cruel spite 
Hide ghastly danger under gay delight. 
Art thou a legal zealot, soft or rude, 
Renounce thy nat r ral and acquired good. 
As base deceitful lusts may work thy smart, 
So may deceitful frames upon thy heart. 
Seeming good motions may in some be found, 
Much joy in hearing, like the stony ground ; f 
Much sorrow too in praying, as appears 
In Esau's careful suit, with rueful tears. $ 
Touching the law, they blameless may appear, § 
From spurious views most specious virtues bear. 
Nor merely be devout in man's esteem, 
But prove to be sincerely what they seem, 
Friends to the holy law in heart and life, 
Surers of heav'n with utmost legal strife 5 
Yet still with innate pride so rankly spic'd, 
Converted but to duties, not to Christ. 
That publicans and harlots heav'n obtain ^f 
Before a crew so righteous and so vain, 
Sooner will those shake off their vicious dress, 
Than these blind zealots will their righteousness, 
Who judge they have (which fortifies their pride) 
The law of God itself upon their side. 
Old nature, new-brush'd up with legal pains, 
Such strict attachment to the law retains, 
No means, no motives can to Jesus draw 
Vain souls so doubly wedded to the law. 

But wouldst the glorious Prince in marriage have, 
Know that thy nat'ral husband cannot save. 
Thy best essays to pay the legal rent 
Can never in the least the law content. 
t Luke viil 13. \ Heb. xii. 17, § Phil. iii. 9. Matth, xxi. SI. 



Chap. VI. THE BELIEVERS ESPOUSALS. 79 

Didst thou iu pray'rs employ the morning light, 

In tears and groans the watches of the night, 

Pass thy whole life in close devotion o'er ; 

'Tis nothing to the law still craving more. 

There's no proportion 'twixt its high commands 1 

And puny works from thy polluted hands, > 

Perfection is the least that it demands, ' 3 

Wouldst enter into life y then keej) the law y f » 

But keep it perfectly without a flaw. 

It won't have less, nor will abate at last 

A drop of vengeance for the sin that's past. 

Tell sinful mortal, Is thy; stock so large 

As duly can defray this double charge ? 

« Why, these are mere impossibles,' (say'st thou,) 

Yea, truly so they are, and therefore now, 

That down thy legal confidence may fall, 

The law's black doom home to thy bosom calh 

1 Lo ! I (the divine law) demand no less 

< Than perfect everlasting righteousness ; 

1 But thou hast faii'd, and lost thy strength to Do : 

* Therefore I doom thee to eternal woe ; 
c In prison close to be shut up for ay, 

« Ere I be baffled with thy partial pay. 

« Thou always didst and dost my precepts break, 

6 I therefore curse thee to the burning lake. 

• In God the great Lawgiver's glorious name, 
1 I judge thy soul to everlasting shame. 

< Nojlesh can by the law be justify f d ; £ ' 
Yet darest thou thy legal duties plead ? 

As Paul appeal'd to Caesar, wilt thou so, T 

Unto the law ? then to it shalt thou go, > 

And find it doom thee to eternal woe. j 

What ! would ye have us plung'd in deep despair ? 
Amen; yea, God himself would have you there, 
His will it is that you despair of life 
And safety by the law, or legal strife ; 

\ Mattb. xxi. 17. } Rom. iii. 20, 



80 gospel sonnets. Part I. 

That cleanly thence divorc'd at any rate, 

His fairest Son may have a faithful mate. 

'Till this law-sentence pass within your breast, 

You'll never wed the law-discharging Priest. 

You prize not heav'n, till he through hell you draw ; 

Nor love the gospel, till you know the law. 

Know then, the divine law most perfect cares 
For none of thy imperfect legal wares ; 
Dooms thee to vengeance for thy sinful state, 
As well as sinful actions small or great. 
If any sin can be accounted small, 
To hell it dooms thy soul for one and all. 
For sins of nature, practice, heart, and way, 
Damnation-rent it summons thee to pay. 
Yea, not for sin alone, which is thy shame, 
But for thy boasted service too so lame, 
The law adjudges thee and hell to meet, 
Because thy righteousness is incomplete, 
As tow'ring flames burn up the withered flags, 
So will the fiery law thy filthy rags. 

SECT. \\— Directions given with reference to the right 
use of the means, that we rest not on these instead of 
Christ, the glorious Husband, in whom our help lies* 

A DAM,where art thou?* Soul, whereartthou now ? 
■"* Oh ! art thou saying, Sir, what shall I do ? f 
I dare not use that proud self-raising strain, 
€ Go help yourself, and God will help you then j' 
Nay, rather know, O Isra'l ! that thou hast 
Destroyed thyself and can'st not in the least 
From sin nor wrath thyself the captive free, 
( Thy help (says Jesus) only lies in me.' % 
Heav'n's oracles direct to him alone ; 
Full help is laid upon this mighty One. 
In him, in him complete salvation dwells j. 
He's God the helper, and there is none else. § * 

• G«n. iii. 9. f Mark x. J 7. J Hos. Itii, P. § Isa. xlv. 22. 



Chap. VI. THE BELIEVER'S ESPOUSALS. ! 

Fig-leaves wont hide thee from the fiery showV, 
5 Tis he clone that saves by price and po\rr. 

Must we do nothing then, (will mockers say,) 
But rest in sloth till fieav'n the help convey ? 
Pray, stop a little, sinner, don't abuse 
God's awful word, that charges thee to use 
Means, ordinances, which he's pleased to place, 
As precious channels of his pow'rful grace. 
Restless improve all these, until from Heav'n 
The whole salvation needful thus be giv'n. 
Wait in this path, according to his call, 
On him whose pow'r alone affecteth all. 
Wr v.ldst thou him wed, in duties wait, I say 
But marry not thy duties by the way, 
Thou'lt woefully come short of saving grace, 
If duties only be thy resting place. 
Nay, go a little further * through them all, 
To him whose office is to save from thrall. 
Thus in a gospel- manner hopeful wait, 
Striving to enter by the narrow gate : f 
So strait and narrow, that it won't admit 
The bunch upon thy back to enter it. 
Not only bulky lusts may cease to press, 
But ev'n the bunch of boasted righteousness, 

Many, as in the sacred page we see, 
Shall strive to enter y but unable be ; J 
Because, mistaking this new way of life, 
They push a legal, not a gospel-strife : 
As if their duties did Jekovah bind, 
Because 'tis written, Seek, and ye shall find. 
Perverted scripture does their error fence, 
They read the letter, but neglect the sense. 
While to the word no gospel-gloss they give, 
Their seek and find's the same with do and live. 
Hence would they a connection native place, 
Between their moral pains and saving grace : 

* Song iii. 1. 4. f Matth. vii. 13 14, \ Luke xiii. 24. 
Match, vii. i 7. 



82 GOSPEL SONNETS. Part I. 

Their nat'ral poor essays they judge won't miss 
In justice to infer eternal bliss. 

Thus commentaries on the word they make, 
Which to their ruin are a grand mistake : 
For through the legal bias in their breast, 
They scripture to their own destruction wrest. 
Why, if we seek, ive get> they gather hence, 
Which is not truth, save in the scripture-sense. 
There Jesus deals with friends, and elsewhere saith, 
These seekers only speed, that ask in faith, f 
The prayer of the wicked is abhorr'd, 
As an abomination to the Lord. % 
Their suits are sins, but their neglects no less, 
Which can't their guilt diminish, but increase. 
They ought, like beggars, lie in grace's way , 
Hence Peter taught the sorcerer to pray : § 
For though mere nat'ral men's address or prayers * 
Can no acceptance gain as works of theirs, 
Nor have, as their i performance ^ any sway j 
Yet as a divine ordinance they may. 
But spotless truth hath bound itself to grant 
The suit of none but the believing saint. 
In Jesus, persons once accepted, do 
Acceptance find in him for duties too. 
For He, whose Son they do in marriage take, 
Is bound to hear them for their Husband's sake. 

But let no Christless soul at pray'r appear, 
As if Jehovah were oblig'd to hear : 
But use the means, because a sov'relgn God 
May come with alms, in this his wonted road. 
He wills thee to frequent kind wisdom's gate, 
To read, hear, meditate, to pray, and wait ; 
Thy spirit then be on these duties bent, 
As gospel means, but not as legal rent. 
From these don't thy salvation hope nor claim, 
But from Jehovah in the use of them. 

f James i. 6. \ Prov. xv. 9. xxviii. 9. § Acts viii. 22. 



Chap. VI. THE believer's espousals. 83 

The beggar's spirit never was so dull, 
While waiting at the gate call'd Beautiful* 
To hope for succour from the temple-gate, 
At which he daily did so careful wait ; 
But from the rich and charitable sort, 
Who to the temple daily made resort. 
Means, ordinances, ar« the comely gate, 
At which kind Heav'n has bid us constant wait : 
Not that from these w« have our alms, but from 
The lib'ral God, who there is wont to come. 
If either we these means shall dare neglect, 
Or yet from these th' enriching bliss expect, 
We from the glory of the king defalk, 
Who in the galleries is wont to walk; 
We move not regular in duties' road, 
But base, invert them to an idol-god. 

Seek, then, if gospel-means you would essay, 
Through grace to use them in a gospel-way : 
Not deeming that your duties are the price 
Of divine favour, or of paradise ; 
Nor that your best efforts employ'd in these 
Are fit exploits your awful Judge to please, 
Why, thus you basely idolize your trash, 
And make it with the blood of Jesus clash. 
You'd buy the blessing with your vile refuse, 
And so his precious righteousness abuse. 
What ! buy his gifts with filthy lumber ? nay, J 
Whoever offers this must hear him say, > 

Thy money perish with thy soul for ay. * J 

Duties are means, which to the marriage-bed 
Should chastely lead us like a chambermaid ; 
But if with her, instead of Christ, we match, 
We not our safety, but our ruin hatch. 
To Cxsar what is Caesar's should be giv'n, 
But Caesar must not have what's due to heav'n; 
So duties should have duty's room, 'tis true, 
But nothing of the glorious Husband's due. 

* Acts viii. 20. 



&4> GOSPEL sonnets. Part I. 

While means the debt of close attendance crave, 

Our whole dependence God alone must have. 

If duties, tears, our conscience pacify, 

They with the blood of Christ presume to vie. 

Means are his vassals ; shall we without grudge 

Discard the master, and espouse the drudge ? 

The hypocrite, the legalist does sin, 

To live on duties, not on Christ therein. 

He only feeds on empty dishes, plates, 

Who dotes on means, but at the manna frets. 

Let never means content thy soul at all, 

Without the Husband, who is all in all.* 

Cry daily for the happy marriage-hour ; 

To' thee belongs the mean, to him the pow'r. 

SECT. III. — ^call to believe in Jesus Christ, with 
some hints at the act and object of faith. 

Xj^RIEND, is the question on thy heart engrav'd, 

-*• < What shall I do to be for ever sav'd V f 

Lo ! here's a living rock to build upon ; 

Believe in Jesus ; J and on him alone 

For righteousuess and strength thine anchor drop, 

Renouncing all thy former legal hope. 

i Believe (say you !) I can no more believe, 

i Than keep the law of works, the DO and LIVE/ 

True ; and it were thy mercy, didst thou see 

Thine utter want of all ability. 

New cov'nant graces he alone can grant, 

Whom God has given to be the covenant ; § 

Ev'n Jesus, whom the sacred letters call 

Faith's object, author, finisher, and all; 

In him alone, not in thy act of faith, 

Thy soul believing full salvation hath. 

In this new cov'nant judge not faith to hold 
The room of perfect doing in the old. 

* Col. in. 3, f Acts xvi. SO. J Ver. 31. § Isa. xlii. 6. 



Chap. VI. the believer's espousals. $5 

Faith is not giv'n to be the fed'ral price 

Of otter blessings, or of paradise : 

But Heav'n, by giving this, strikes' out a door 

At which is carried in still more and more. 

No sinner must upon his faith lay stress, 

As if it were a perfect righteousness. 

God ne'er assign'd unto it such a place ; 

'Tis but at best a bankrupt begging grace. 

Its object makes its fame to fly abroad, 

So close it gripes the righteousness of God ; 

Which righteousness receiv'd, is (without strife) 

The true condition of eternal life, 

But still, say you, pow'r to believe I miss. 
You may \ but know ye what believing is ? 
Faith lies not in your building up a tow'r 
Of some great action by your proper pow'r ; 
For Heav'n well knows, that by the killing fall, 
No pow'r, no will remains in man at all 
For acts divinely good j 'till sov'reign grace, 
By pow'rful drawing virtue turn the chace. 
Hence none believe in Jesus as they ought, 1 

'Till once they first believe they can do nought, > 
Nor are sufficient e'&n to farm a tlwught* \ 

They're conscious, in the right believing hour, 
Of human weakness, and of divine pow'r. 
Faith acts not in the sense of strength and might. 
But in the sense of weakness acts outright. 
It is (no boasting arm of pow'r or length) 
But weakness acting on almighty strength, f 
It is the pow'rless, helpless sinner's flight 
Into the open arms of saving might : 
'Tis an employing Jesus to do all 
That can within salvation's compass fall ; 
To be the agent kind in ev'ry thing 
Belonging to a prophet, priest, and king ; 
To teach, to pardon, sanctify, and save, 
And nothing to the creature's pow'r to leave. 

-, * 2 Cor. iii. 5. f 2 Cor. vii. 9. 

H 



86 GOSPEL sonnets* Part I. 

Faith makes us joyfully content that he 
Our Head, our Husband, and our All should be ; 
Our righteousness and strength, our stock and store, 
Our fund for food and raiment, grace, and glore. 
It makes the creature down to nothing fail, 
Content that Christ alone be all in all. 

The plan of grace is faith's delightful view, 
With which it closes, both as good and true. 
Unto the truth, the mind's assent is full, 
Unto the good, a free consenting ivilL 
The Holy Spirit here the agent chief, 
Creates this faith, and dashes unbelief. 
That very God who calls us to Relieve, 
The very faith he seeks must also give. 
Why calls he then ? say you. Pray, man, be wise ; 
Why did he call dead Lazarus to rise ? 
Because the orders in their bosom bear 
Almighty pow'r to make the carcase hear. 

But Heav'n may not this mighty pow'r display. 
Most true ; yet still thou art oblig'd t' obey. 
But God is not at all oblig'd to stretch 
His saving arm to such a sinful wretch. 
All who within salvation-rolls have place, 
Are sav'd by a prerogative of grace ; 
But vessels all that shall wkh wrath be cramm'd, 
Are by an act of holy justice damn'cL 
Take then, dear soul, as from a friendly heart, 
The counsel which the following lines impart. 

SECT. IV.— An ADVICE to sinners to apply to the sove- 
reign mercy of God, as it is discovered through Christ, 
t§ the highest honour of justice, and other divine attributes, 
in order to further their faith in him unto salvation, 

£^i O, friend, and at Jehovah's footstool bow ; 
^^ Thou know'st not what a sov'reign God may do. 
Confess, if he commiserate thy case, 
Twill be an act of pow'rful sov'reign grace. 



Chap. II. THE believer's esfousals. SV 

Sequestrate carefully some solemn hours, 

To shew thy grand concern in'secrect pow'rs. 

Then in the ensuing strain to God impart, 

And pour into his bosom all thy heart. 
O glorious, gracious, pow'rful, sov'reign Lord, 
Thy help unto a sinful worm afford ; 
Who from my wretched birth, to this sad hour, 
Have still been destitute of will and pow'r 
To close with glorious Christ; yea, fill'd with spite 1 
At thy fair darling, and thy saints' delight , > 

Resisting all his grace with all my might. j 

Come, Lord, and sap my enmity's strong tow'r # , 
O haste the marriage -day, the day of pow'r : 
That sweetly, by resistless grace inclined, 
My once reluctant be a willing mind* 
Thou spak'st to being ev'ry thing we see, 
When thy almighty will said, Let it be. 
Nothings to beings in a moment pass : 
Let there be lights thou saidst ; and so it was* 
A pow'rful word like this, a mighty call, 
Must say, Let there be faith, and then it shall* 
Thou seek'st my faith and flight from sin and guilt ; 
Give what thou seek'st, Lord ; then seek what thou 
What good can issue from a root so ill ? [wilt. 

This heart of mine's a wicked lump of hell ; 
'Twill all thy common motions still resist. 
Unless with special drawing virtue blest. 
Thou calls, but with the call thy pow'r convey ; *1 
Command me to believe, and I'll obey, £ 

Nor any more thy gracious call gainsay. j 

Command, O Lord, effectually command, "1 

And grant I be not able to withstand ; > 

Then pow'rless I will stretch the wither'd hand, J 
« I to thy favour can pretend no claim, 
But what is borrow'd from thy glorious name ; 
Which though most justly thou may'st glorify, 
In damning such a guilty wretch as me,^ 

r Gen. i. 3, 



88 gosppel sonnets. Part I* 

< A faggot fitted for the burning fire 

< Of thine incensed everlasting ire : 

« Yet, Lord, since now I hear thy glorious Son, 
« In favour of a race that was undone, 

* Did in thy name, by thy authority, 

< Once to the full stern justice satisfy ; 

« And paid more glorious tribute thereunto 
9 Than hell and all its torments e'er can do. 

* Since my salvation through his blood can raise 1 
« A revenue to justice' highest praise, v 
« Higher than i;ents, which hell for ever pays : \ 

< These to tremendous justice never bring 
« A satisfaction equal a>nd condign. 

« But Jesus, our once dying God performs, % 

< What never could by ever-dying worms : 

* Since thus thy threat'ning law is honour'd more 

* Than e'er my sins affronted it before : 

* Since justice stern may greater glory win, 

< By justifying in thy darling Son, 

« Than by condemning ev'n the rebel me 5 

< To this device of wisdom, lo ! I flee. 

* Let justice, Lord, according to thy will, 

< Be glorify'd with glory great and full ; 

* Not now in hell, where just-ice petty pay 
« Is but extorted parcels minc'd for ay : 

< But glorify'd in Christ, who down has told 

* The total sum at once in liquid gold. 
« In lowest hell low praise is only won, 

< But justice has the highest in thy Son ; 

« The Sun cf righteousness that set in red, 

< To shew the glorious morning would succeed. 

« In him then save thou me from sin and shame, 

< And to the highest glorify thy name. 

« Since this bright scene thy glories all express, 
' And grace as empress r signs through righteous ties ; 
« Since mercy fair runs in a crimson flood, 
« And vents through justice-satisfying blood : 



Chap. VI. THE BELIEVER^ ESPOUSALS. &9 

Not only then for mercy's sake I sue, 
c But for the glory of thy justice too. 

* And since each letter of thy name divine 

* Has in fair Jesus' face the brightest shine, 

* This glorious Husband be for ever mine. 

( On this strong argument, so sweet, so blest, 
c With thy allowance, Lord, I must insist. 

* Great God ! since thou allow'st unworthy me 

* To make thy glorious name my humble plea ; 

* No glory worthy of it wilt thou gain, 

< By casting me into the burning main; 

< My feeble back can never suit the load, 

c That speaks thy name a sin- revenging Goe, 

< Scarce would that name seem a consuming fire 
1 Upon a worm unworthy of thine ire 

* But see the worthy Lamb, thy chosen Priest, 
« With justice' burning-glass against his breast, 
c Contracting all the beams of 'venging wrath* 
c As in their centre, till he burn to death. 

c Vengeance can never be so much proclaim'd, 
1 By scatter'd beams among the millions damned; 

< Then, Lord, in him, me to the utmost save,. 

* And thou shalt glory to the highest have: 

* Glory to wisdom, that contrived so well ! 

« Glory to pow'r, that bore and bury'd hell ! 
c Glory, to holiness, which sin defac'd, 
' With sinless service now divinely grac'd ! 
1 Glory to justice' sword, that flaming stood, 
' Now drunk to pleasure with atoning blood ! 
« Glory to truths that now in scarlet clad, 

* Has seaPd both threats and promises with red ! ~l % 
c Glory to mercy, now in purple streams, y 

* So sweetly gliding through the divine flames y> 
« Of other once offended, now exalted names ! Ti 
« Each attribute conspires with joint embrace, V 
€ To shew its sparkling rays in Jesus' face ; J\ 
« And thus to deck the crown of matchless grace* 

HS 



90 GOSPEL SONNETS. Part I. 

But to thy name in hell ne'er can accrue 
The thousandth part of this great revenue, 

* O ravishing contrivance ! light tfrat blinds 
Cherubic gazers, and seraphic minds ! 
They prey into the deep, and love to learn 
What yet should vastly more be my concern. 
Lord, once my hope most reasonless could dream 
Of heav'n, without regard to thy great name : 
But here is laid my lasting hope to found, 
A highly rational, a divine ground. 
*Tis reasonable, I expect thou'lt take 
The way that most will for thine honour make. 
Is this the plan ? Lord, let me build my claim 
To life, on this high glory of thy name, 
Nor let my faithless heart, or think, or say. 
That all this glory shall be thrown away 
In my perdition ; which will never raise 
To thy great name so vast a rent of praise. 
O then a rebel into favour take : 
Lord, shield and save me for thy glory's sake* 
My endless ruin is not worth the cost, 
That so much glory be for ever lost. 
I'll of the greatest sinner bear the shame, 
To bring the greatest honour to thy name, 
Small loss, though I should perish endless days, 
But thousand pities grace should lose the praise. 
O hear, Jehovah ! get the glory then, 
And to my supplication say, AmenS 

SECT* V. — The terrible doom of unbelievers and re- 
jecters c^ Christ, or despisers cf the gospel. 

THUS, sinner, into Jesus' bosom flee, 
Then there is hope in Isra'l sure for thee,. 
Slight not the call, as running by in rhime, 
Lest thou repent for ay, if not in time. 



Chap. VI. THE believer's espousals. 01 

'Tis most unlawful to contemn and shun 

All wholesome counsels that in metre run ; 

Since the prime fountains of the sacred writ 

Much heav'nly truth in holy rhimes transmit. 

If this don't please, yet hence it is no crime 

To versify the word, and preach in rhyme. 

But in whatever mould the doctrine lies, ^ 

Some erring minds with gospel truth despise > 

Without remeid, till Heav'n anoint their eyes. y 

These lines pretend no conqu'ring art nor skill, 

But shew, in weak attempts, a strong good-will 

To mortify all native legal pride, 

And court the Lamb of God a virgin bride. 

If he thy conjunct match be never giv'n, 

Thou'rt doom'd to hell as sure as God's in heav'n - 7 

If gospel grace and goodness don't thee draw, 

Thou art condemn'd already by the law. 

Yea, hence damnation deep will doubly brace, 

If still thy heart contemn redeeming grace. 

No argument from fear or hope will move, 

Or draw thy heart, if not the bond of love ; 

Nor flowing joys, nor flaming terrors chace 

To Christ the hav'n, without the gales of grace. 

O slighter, then, of grace's joyful sound, 

Thou'rt over to the wrathful ocean bound. 

Anon thou'lt sink into the gulph of woes, 

Whene'er thy wasting hours are at a close ; 

Thy false old legal hope will then be lost, 

And with thy wretched soul give up the ghost. 

Then farewell God and Christ, and grace and glore> 

Undone thou art, undone for evermore ; 

For ever sinking underneath the load 

And pressure of a sin-revenging God. 

The sacred, awful text, asserts, < To fall 

* Into his living hands is fearful thrall ; 

e When no more sacrifice for sin remains/ 

But ever-living wrath, and lasting chains * 

* Heb, x. 29,31. . 



I 



92 * gospel sonnets. Part I. 

Heav'n still upholding life in dreadful death, 

Still throwing down hot thunderbolts of wrath, 

As full of terror, and as manifold 

As finite vessels of his wrath can hold. 

* Then, then, we may suppose the wretch to cry. 
Oh, if this damning God would let me die, 
And not torment me to eternity ! 
Why from the silent womb of stupid earth, 
Did Heav'n awake, and push me into birth ? 
Curs'd be the day that ever gave me life ; 
Curs'd be the cruel parents, man and wife, 
Means of my being, instruments of woe; 
For now I'm damn'd, Pm damn'd, and always so 
Curs'd be the day that ever made me hear 
The gospel-call which brought salvation near, 
The endless sound of slighted mercy's bell 
Has in mine ears the most tormenting knell. 
Of ofFer'd grace I vain repent the loss, 
The joyful sound with horror recognosce. 
The hollow vault reveberates the sound ; 
This killing echo strikes the deepest wound, 
And with too late remorse does now confound. 
Into- the dungeon of despair I'm lock'd, 
The once open door of hope for ev^r block'd ; 
Hopeless I sink into the dark abyss, 
Banish'd for ever from eternal bliss. 
In boiling waves of vengeance must I lie ? 
O could I curse this dreadful God and die. 
Infinite years in torment shall I spend, 
And never, never, never at an end ! 
Ah ! must I live in torturing despair 
As many years as atoms in the air ? 
When these are spent, as many thousands more 
As grains of sand that crowd the ebbing shore r 
When these are done, as many yet behind 
As leaves of forest shaken with the wind ? 
When these are gone, as many to ensue 
As stems of grass on hills and dales that grew S 



I 



Chap. VI. THE believer's espousals. 9S 

< When these run out, as many on the march, 

* As starry lamps that gild the spangled arch ?, 

* When these expire, as many millions more 
5 As moments in the millions past before ? 

c When all these doleful years are spent in pain, 

'And multiply'd by myriads again, - 

1 Till numbers drown the thought, could I suppose 

* That then my wretched years were at a close, 

* This would afford some ease : but, ah ! I shiver 

* To think upon the dreadful sound, jfor ever ! 

i The burning gulph, where I blaspheming lye, 

* Is time no more, but vast eternity. 

1 The growing torrent I endure for sin, 
c Through ages all is always to begin. 
4 How did I but a grain of pleasure sow, 

< To reap an harvest of immortal woe ? 

1 Bound to the bottom of the burning main, 

* Gnawing my chains, I wish for death in vain. 
c Just doom ! since I that bear th' eternal load 

* Contemn'd the death of an eternal God. 

« Oh ! if the God that curs'd me to the lash, 

< Would bless me back to nothing with a dash ! 

* But hopeless I the just avenger hate, 

* Blaspheme the wrathful God, and curse my fate.'' 

To these this word of terror I direct, 
Who now the great salvation dare neglect * \ 
To all the Christ-despising multitude, 
That trample on the great Redeemer's blood : 
That see no beauty in his glorious face,, 
But slight his offers, and refuse his grace. 
A messenger of wrath to none I am, 
But those that hate to wed the worthy Lamb. 
For though the smallest sins, if small can be, 
Will plunge the Christless soul in misery ; 
Yet, lo ! the greatest that to mortals cleave, 
Shan't damn the souls in Jesus that believe : 

* Heb. ii. 3, 



94? GOSPEL SONNETS. Parti. 

Because they on the very method fall 

That well can make amends to God for sll. 

Whereas proud souls, through unbelief, won't let 

The glorious God a reparation get 

Of all his honour in his darling Son, 

For all the great dishonours they have done. 

A faithless soul the glorious God bereaves 

Of ail the satisfaction that he craves ; 

Hence under divine hottest fury lies, 

And with a double vengeance justly dies. 

The blackest part of Trophet is their place 

Who slight the tenders of redeeming grace, 

That sacrilegious monster, Unbelief, 

So hardened 'gainst remorse and pious grief, 

Robs God of all the glory of his names, 

And every divine attribute defames. 

It loudly calls the truth of God a lie ; 

The God of truth a liar /* horrid cry ! 

Doubts and denies his precious words of grace. 

Spits venom in the royal Suitor's face. 

This monster cannot cease all sin to hatch. 

Because it proudly mars the happy match. 

As each law-wedded soul is join'd to sin, 

And destitute of holiness within; 

So all that wed the law, must wed the curse, 

Which rent they scorn to pay with Christ's full purse. 

They clear may read their dreadful doom in brief, 

Whose fester'd sore is final unbelief: 

Though to the law their life exactly fram'd, 

For zealous acts and passions too were fam'd : 

Ye, lo ! He that believes not, shall be damn'd f. 
But now 'tis proper on the other side, 
With words of comfort to address the bride. 
She in her glorious Husband does possess 
Adorning grace, acquitting righteousness : A 
And hence to her pertain the golden mines 
Of comfort open'd in the foil' wing lines. 

* John v. 10, f J ohn »»■ l3 * 



( 95 ) 
GOSPEL SONNETS. 



PART II. 



THE BELIEVER'S JOINTURE : 

OR, 

THE POEM CONTINUED, 
On IsAIAH liv. 5. Thy Maker is thy Husband. 



N. B. — The fallowing lines being primarily intend- 
ed for the use and edification of piously exercised 
souls, and especially those of a more common and 
ordinary capacity ; the author thought fit, through 
the whole of the second part of this book, to conti- 
nue, as in the former editions, to repeat that part of 
the text, Thy Husband, in the last line of every verse : 
because, however it tended to limit him, and re- 
strict his liberty of words in the composition, yet 
having ground to judge, that this appropriating 
appellation still resumed, has rendered these lines 
formerly the more savoury to some exercised Chris- 
tians, to whom the name of Christ (particularly 
as their Head and Husband) it as ointment poured 
forth; he chose rather to subject himself to that 
restriction, than to with-hold what may tend to 
the satisfaction and comfort of those to whom 
Christ is all in all ; and to whom liis name, as 
their Husband, so many various ways applied, wiU 
be no nauseous repetition. 



96 v GOSPEL SONNETS. ■ Part 1L 

CHAP, I. 

Containing the Privileges of the Believer 
that is espoused to Christ by faith of di- 
vine operation. 



SECT. I. — The Believer's perfect beauty, free accep- 
tance, and full security, through, the imputation of 
Christ's perfect righteousness, though imparted grace be 
imperfecta 



f\ Happy soul, Jehovvh's bride, 
\r The Lamb's beloved spouse ; 
Strong consolation's flowing tide, 
Thy Husband thee allows. 

In thee, though like thy father's race. 

By nature black as hell. 
Yet now, so beautify'd by grace 

Thy Husband loves to dwell. 

Fair as the moon thy robes appear, 

While graces are in dress ; 
Clear as the sun*> while found to wear 

Thy Husband's righteousness. 

Thy moon-like graces, changing much, 
Have here and there a spot ; 

Thy sun-like glory is not such, 
Thy Husband changes not. 

Thy white and ruddy vesture fair 
Outvies the rosy leaf •, # 

For 'mong ten housand beauties rare 
Thy Husband is the chief. 

* Song vi. 10. 



Chap. I. the believer's jointure. 

Cloth'd with the Sun, thy robes of light 

The morning rays outshine ; 
The lamps of heav'n are not so bright, 

Thy Husband decks thee fine. 
Though hellish smoke thy duties stain, 

And sin deform thee quite •, 
Thy Surety's merit makes thee clean, 

Thy Husband's beauty white. 
Thy pray'rs and tears 5 nor pure nor good, 

But vile and loathsome seem ; 
Yet gain, by dipping in his blood, 

Thy Husband's high esteem. 
No fear thou starve, though wants be great) 

hi him thou art ccmjilete :' * 
Thy hungry soul may hopeful wait, 

Thy Husband gives thee meat. 
Thy money, merit, pow'r and pelf, 

Were squander d by thy fall ; 
"Yet, having nothing in thyself, 

Thy Husband is thy all. 
Law-precepts, threats, may both beset 

To crave of thee their due ; 
But justice for thy double debt 

Thy Husband did pursue. 
Though justice stern as much belong 

As mercy to a God ; 
Yet justice suffer'd here no wrong, 

Thy Husband's back was broad. 
He bore the load of wrath alone, 

That mercy might take vent ; 
Heav'n's pointed arrows all upon 

Thy Husband's heart were spent. 
No partial pay could justice still, 

No farthing was retrench'd ; 
Vengeance exacted all, until 
Thy Husband all advane'd. 
* Col. ii. ic. 
I 



-■#8 GOSPEL sonnets. Part II. 

He paid, in liquid golden red, 

Each mite the law requir'd, 
-Till, with a loud 'Tis finished *, 

Thy Husband's breath expir'd. 
No process more the law can tent ; 

Thou stand'st within its verge, 
And may'st with pleasure now present 

Thy Husband's full discharge. 
Though new contracted guilt beget 

New fears of divine ire \ 
Yet fear thou not, though drown'd in debt, 

Thy Husband is the prayer. 
God might in rigour thee indite 

Of highest crimes and flaws ; 
But on thy head no curse can light — 

Thy Husband is the cause. 

SECT. II * — Christ the leliever's friend y proplui^ 
priest^ king) defence >, guide y guard) /ie/p> and healer. 

^EAR soul, when all the human race 
Lay welt'ring in their gore, 
Vast numbers, in that dismal case, 

Thy Husband passed o'er. 
But pray, why did he thousands pass, 

And set his heart on thee ? 
The deep, the searchless reason was, 

- Thy Husband's love is free. 
The forms of favour, names of grace, 

And offices of love, 
He bears for thee, with open face 

Thy Husband's kindness prove. 
'Gainst darkness black, and error blind. 

Thou hast a sun and shield f, 
And to reveal the Father's mind, 

Thy Husband's Prophet seal'd. 

* John xix. 3D. f Psalm lxxxiv. 1J. 



Chap. I. THE BELIEVER'S JOINTURE. 99 

He likewise, to procure thy peace, 

And save from sin's arrest, 
Resign'd himself a sacrifice ; 

Thy Husband is thy Priest. 
And that he might thy will subject, 

And sweetly captive bring, 
Thv sin subdue, his throne erect,. 

Thy Husband is thy King. 
Though numerous and assaulting foes 

Thy joyful peace may mar, 
And thou a thousand battles lose, 

Thy Husband wins the war. 
Hell's forces, which thy mind appal, 

His arm can soon dispatch : 
How strong soe'er, yet for them all 

Thy Husband's more than match. 
Though secret lusts, with hid contest, 

By heavy groans reveal'd, 
And devils rage ; yet do their best, 

Thy Husband keeps the field. 
When, in desertion's evening dark, 

Thy steps are apt to slide, 
His conduct seek, his counsel mark j 

Thy Husband is thy guide. 
In doubts, renouncing self-conceit, 

His word and Spirit prize : 
He never counsell'd wrong as yet, 

Thy Husband is so wise. 
When weak, thy refuge seest at hand, 

Yet cannot run the length ; 
'Tis present pow'r to understand 

Thy Husband is thy strength. 
When shaking storms annoy thy hearty 

His word commands a calm : 
Of bleeding wounds to ease the smart, 

Thy Husband's blood is balm, 



100 GOSPEL soxxets. Part II. 

Trust creatures, nor to help thy thrall, 

Nor to assuage thy grief : 
Use means, but look beyond- them all; 

Thy Husband's thy relief. 
If Heaven prescribes a bitter drug, 

Fret not with froward will ; 
This carriage may thy cure prorogue •, 

Thy Husband wants not skill ; 
He sees the sore, he knows the cure 

Will most adapted be ; 
'Tis then most reasonable, sure, 

Thy Husband choose for thee. 
Friendship is in his chastisements, 

And favour in his frowns ; 
Thence judge not then in heavy plaints, 

Thy Husband thee disowns : 
The deeper his sharp lancet go 

In ripping up thy wound, 
The more thy healing shall unto 

Thy Husband's praise redound. 

SECT, III.— Christ the believer } s wonderful Physi- 
cian and wealthy Friend, 

TND Jesus empties whom he'll fill, 
Casts down whom he will raise ; 
He quickens whom he seems to kill ; 

Thy Husband thus gets praise. 
When awful rods are in his hand, 

There's mercy in his mind ; 
When clouds upon his brow do stand, 

Thy Husband's heart is kind. 
In various changes to and fro, 
. ' Hell ever constant prove ; 
JJtfl' can his kindness come and gr> 
7 Husband's name is Lc 



Chap. I. THE BELIEVER'S JOINTURE, 101 

His friends in most afflicted lot 

His favour must have felt ; 
For when they're try'd in furnace hot, 

Thy Husband's bowels melt. 
When he his bride or wounds or heals, 

Heart-kindness does him move ; 
And wraps in frowns as well as smiles, 

Thy Husband's lasting love. 
Ib's hand no cure could ever fail, 

Though of a hopeless state, 
He can in desp'rate cases heal, 

Thy Husband's art's so great. 
The medicine he did prepare, 

Can't fail to work for good : 
O balsam pow'rfui, precious, rare, 

Thy Husband's sacred blood : 
Which freely from his broached breast 

Gush'd out like pent-up fire. 
His cures are best, his wages least, 

Thy Husband takes no hire. 
Thou hast no worth, no might s no goqd, 

His favour to procure : 
But see his store, his pow'r, his blood ! 

Thy Husband's never poor. 
Himself he humbled wond*rously 

Once to the lowest pitch \ 
That bankrupts through his poverty 

Thy Husband might enrith. 
His treasure is more excellent 

Than hills of Ophir gold : 
In telling stores were ages spent, 

Thy Husband's can't be told. 
All things that fly on wings of fame, 

Compar'd with these are dross ; 
Thy searchless riches in his name* 

Thy JIusband doth engross, i 



102 GOSPEL SONNE I: Part XL 

The great Immanuel, God-man, 

Includes such store divine ; 
Angels and saints will never scan 

Thy Husband's golden mine. 
He's full of grace and truth * indeed, 

Of Spirit, f merit, might ; 
Of all the wealth that bankrupts need 

Thy Husband's heir by right. 
Tho' heaves his throne, % he came from thence, 

To seek and save the lost ; 
Whatever be the vast expence, 

Thy- Husband'9 at the cost. 
Pleas'd to expend each drop of blood 

That filPd his royal veins, 
He frank the sacred victim stosd \ 

Thy Husband spar'd no pains. 
His cost immense was in thy place ; 

Thy freedom cost his thrall \ 
Thy glory cost him deep disgrace, 

Thy Husband paid for all. 



SECT IV. — TJie believer's safety under the covert 
of Christ's atoning blood, and powerful interces- 
sion. 



WHEN Heav'n proclaimed hot war and wrath 
And sin increas'd the strife \ 
By rich obedience unto death, 

Thy Husband bought thy life. 
The charges could not be abridg'd, 

But en these noble terms •, 
Which all that prize, are hugg'd amidst 
Thy Husband's folded arms. 

* John \. ]4. f John Hi. 34. \ Isa. kvi. I, § Luke xix, IC. 



Jhap. I. THE believer's jointure. 103 

When law condemns, and justice too 

To prison would thee hale ; 
As sureties kind for bankrupts do, 

Thy Husband offers bail. 
God on these terms is reconciled, 

And thou his heart hast won : 
In Christ thou art his favour'd child, 

Thy Husband is his Son. 
Vindictive wrath is whole appeas'd, 

Thou need not then be mov'd ^ 
In Jesus always he's well pleased, 

Thy Husband's his Belov'd* 
What can be laid unto thy charge, 

When God does not condemn ? 
Bills of complaint, though foes enlarge, 

Thy Husband answers them. 
When fear thy guilty mind confounds, 

Full comfort this may yield ; 
Thy ransom-bill, with blood and wounds, 

Thy Husband kind has seal'd. 
His promise is the fair extract 

Thou hast at hand to shew ; 
Stern justice can no more exact. 

Thy Husband paid its due. 
No terms he left thee to fulfil, 

No clog to mar thy faith ; 
His bond is sign'd, his letter-will, 

Thy Husband seal'd by death. 
The great condition of the band 

Of promise and of bliss, 
Is wrought by him, and brought to hand 

Thy Husband's righteousness* 
When therefore press'd in time of need, 
■ * To sue the promise good, 

Thou hast no more to do but plead 

Thy Husband's sealing blood. 

Matth. iii.. 17. 



Tt)* GOSPEL SOXNETS. Fart II. 

This can thee more to God commend, 

And cloudy wrath dispel, 
Than e'er thy sinning could offend ; 

Thy Husband vanquished hell. 
When vengeance seems, for broken laws, 

To light on thee with dread j 
Let Christ be umpire of thy cause, 

Thy Husband well can plead. 
He pleads his righteousness that brought 

All rents the law could crave ; 
Whate'er its precepts, threat'nings, sought, 

Thy Husband fully gave. 
Did holiness in precepts stand, ' 

And for perfection call, 
Justice in threat'nings death demand ? 

Thy Husband gave it all. 
His blood the fiery law did quench, 

Its summons need not scar : 
Tho' *t cite thee tq Heav'n's awful bench, 

Thy Husband's at the bar. 
This Advocate has much to say, 

His clients need not fear ; 
For God the Father hears him ay> 

Thy Husband hath his ear. 
A cause fail'd never in his hand, 

So strong his pleading is ; 
His Father grants his whole demand, 

Thy Husband's will is his. 
Hell-forces all may rendezvous, 

Accusers may combine \ 
Yet fear thou not who art his spouse, 

Thy Husband's cause is thine. 
By solemn oath Jehovah did 

His priesthood ratify \ 
Let earth and hell then counterplead, 

Thy Husband gains the plea. 



Chap. I. THE BELIEVER'S J01KTURE. 105 

Sect. V. — The Believer's FAITH and hope encouraged 
even in the darkest nights of desertion and distress, 

FipHE cunning serpent may accuse, 
-*- But never shall succeed : 
The God of peace will Satan bruise. 

Thy Husband broke his head *• 
Hell furies threaten to devour, 

Like lions robb'd of whelps : 
But, lo ! in ev ry per'lous hour, 

Thy Husband always helps. 
That feeble faith may never fail, 

Thine Advocate has pray T d ; 
Though winnowing tempests may assail. 

Thy Husband's near to aid. 
Though grievous trials grow a-pace, 

And put thee to a stand ; 
Thou may'st rejoice in ev'ry case, 

Thy Husband's help at hand. 
Trust thou when in desertion dark, 

No twinkling star by night, 
No ray appear, no glimm'ring spark ; 

Thy Husband is thy light. 
His beams anon the clouds can rent, 

And through the vapours run \ 
For of the brightest firmament, 

Thy Husband is the Sun. 
Without the Sun who mourning go> 

And scarce the way can find, 
He brings through paths they do not know f j 

Thy Husband leads the blind. 
Through fire and water he with skill 

Brings to a wealthy land ; 
Rude flames and roaring floods, be still, 

Thy Husband can command. 

* Romxvi, 20. f Isa sliii. 19. 



106 * GOSPEL sonnets. Part II. 

When sin disorders heavy brings, 

That press thy soul with weight ; 
Then mind how many crooked things 

Thy Husband has made straight. 
Still look to him with longing eyes, 

Though both thine eyes should fail , 
Cry, and at length, though not thy cries, 

Thy Husband shall prevail. 
Still hope for favour at his hand. 

Though favour don't appear ; 
When help seems most aloof to stand, 

Thy Husband's then most near. 
In cases, hopeless-like, faint hopes 

May fail, and fears annoy \ 
But most when stript of earthly props, 

Thy Husband thou'lt enjoy. 
If Providence the promise thwart, 

And yet thy humbled mind 
*Gainst hope believes in hope*, thou art 

Thy Husband's dearest friend. 
Art thou a weakling, poor and faint, 

In jeopardy each hour ? 
Let not thy weakness move thy plaint, 

Thy Husband has the pow'r. 
Dread not the foes that foil'd thee long 

Will ruin thee at length \ 
When thou art weak, then art thou strong ; 

Thy Husband is thy strength. 
When foes are mighty, many too, 

Don't fear, nor quit the field : 
'Tis not with thee they have to do, 

Thy Husband is thy shield. 
'Tis hard to fight against an host, 

Or strive against the stream ; 
But, lo ! when all seems to be lost, 

Thy Husband will redeem. 
* Rom. vi. is. 



Chap. I. THE BELIEVER'S JOINTURE. 107 

SECT. VI. — Benefits accruing to Believers, from th 
offices y tiames y natures , and sufferings of Christ. 

A RT thou by lusts a captive led, 
-^*- Which breeds thy deepest grief ? 
To ransom captives is his trade, 

Thy Husband's thy relief. 
His precious name is JESUS ; why ? 

Because he saves from sin : * 
Redemption-right he won't deny, 

Thy Husband's near of kin. 
His wounds have sav'd thee once from woes, 

His blood from vengeance screen'd; 
When heav'n, and «arth, and hell were foes, 

Thy Husband was a friend : 
And will thy Captain riow look on, 

And see thee trampled down ? 
When, lo ! thy Champion has the throng-, 

Thy Husband wears the crown. 
Yield not, though cunning Satan bribe, * 

Or like a lion roar ? 
The Lion strong of Judah's tribe. 

Thy Husband's to the fore. 
And that he never will forsake, f 

His credit fair he pawn'd ; 
In hottest broils, then, courage take, 

Thy Husband's at thy hand. . 
No storm needs drive thee to a strait, 

Who dost his aid invoke : 
Fierce winds may blow, proud waves may beat ; 

Thy Husband is the rock. 
Renounce thine own ability, 

Lean to his promis'd might ; 
The strength of Isra'l cannot lie, 

Thy Husband's pow'r is plight : 

* Matth, i. 12. f Heb. xiii. 5. 



108 GOSPEL SONNETS. Part II, 

An awful truth does here present, 

Whoever think it odd ; 
In him thou art omnipotent, 

Thy Husband is a God. 
Jehovah's strength is in thy Head, 

Which faith may boldly scan \ 
God in thy nature does reside, 

Thy Husband is a man. 
Thy flesh is his, his Spirit thine : 

And that you both are one, 
One body, spirit, temple, vine, 

Thy Husband deigns to own. 
Kind he assum'd thy flesh and blood 

This union to pursue ; 
x\nd without shame, his brotherhood 

Thy Husband does avow* 
He bore the cross, thy crown to win, 

His blood he freely spilt \ 
The holy One assuming sin, 

Thy Husband bore the guilt. 
Lo ! What a bless'd exchange is this ! 

What wisdom shines therein ! 
That thou might'st be made righteousiiess, 

Thy Husband was made sin.* 
The God of joy a man of grief, 

Thy sorrows to discuss ; 
Pure innocence hang'd as a thief : 

Thy Husband lov'd thee thus, 
Bright beauty had his visage marr'd, 

His comely form abus'd, 
True rest was from all rest debarr'd, 

Thy Husband's heel was bruis'd. 
The" God of blessings was a curse, 

The Lord of lords a drudge, 
The heir of all things poor in purse : 

Thy Husband did not grudge, 
* 2 Cor. v. 21. 



Chap. I. THE believer's jointure. 109 

The Judge of all condemned was, 

The God immortal slain ; 
No favour, in thy woeful cause, 

Thy Husband did obtain. 

SECT. VII. — Christ's Sufferings further improved^ 
and Believers called to live by faith % both when thy 
have and wqpt sensible influences. 

LOUD praises sing, without surcease, 
To him that frankly came, 
And gave his soul a sacrifice ; 

Thy Husband was the Lamb. 
What waken'd vengeance could denounce, 

All round him did beset ; 
And never left his sottl, till once 

Thy Husband paid the debt. 
And though new debt thou still contract, 

And run in deep arrears •, 
Yet all thy burdens on his back 

Thy Husband always bears. 
Thy Judge will ne'er demand of thee 

Two payments for one debt ; 
Thee with one victim wholly free 

Thy Husband kindly set. 
That no grim vengeance might thee meet, 

Thy husband met with all ; 
And, that thy soul may drink the sweet, 

Thy Husband drank the gall. 
Full breasts of joy he loves t' extend, 

Like to a kindly nurse 5 
And, that thy bless might full be gain'd, 

Thy Husband was a curse. 
Thy sins he glu'd unto the tree, 

His blood this virtue hath ; 
For, that thy heart to sin might die, 

Thy Husband suffered death. 
K 



MO GOSPEL soxnets. Part II. 

To purchase fully all thy good, 

All evil him befel •, 
To win thy heav'n, with streams of blood, 

Thy Husband quenched hell. 

That this kind Days-man in one band 

Might God and man betroth, 
He on both parties lays his handy 

Thy Husband pleases both. 

The blood that could stern justice please, 

And law-demands fulfil, , 
Can also guilty conscience ease ; 

Thy Husband clears the bill. 
Thy highest glory is, obtain'd 

By his abasement deep ; 
And that thy tears might all be drain'd, 

Thy Husband chose to weep. 
His bondage all thy freedom bought. 

He stoop'd so lowly down ; 
His grappling all thy grandeur brought, 

Thy Husband's cross thy crown. 
'Tis by his shock thy sceptre sways, 

His warfare ends thy strife ; 
His poverty thy wealth conveys, 

Thy Husband's death thy life. 
Do mortal damps invade thy heart, 

And deadness seize thee sore ? 
Rejoice in this, that life t' impart 

Thy Husband has in store. 
And when new life imparted seems 

Establish' d as a rock ; 
Boast in the fountain, not the streams ^ 

Thy Husband is thy stock. 
The streams may take a various turn, 

The fountain never moves ; 
Cease then, o'er failing* streams to mourn, 

Thy Husband thus thee proves. 



Chap! I. THE believer's JOINTURE. Ill 

That glad thou maylst, when drops are gone, 

Joy in the spacious sea : 
When incomes fail, then still upon 
Thy Husband keep thine eye. 

But can't thou look, nor moan thy strait, 

So dark's the dismal hour ? 
Yet, as thou'rt able, cry and wait 

Thy Husband's day of pow'r.. 

Tell him, though sin prolong the term, 

Yet love can scarce delay : 
Thy want, his promise, all affirm, 

Thy Husband must not stay* 

SECT. VIII. — Christ the Believers enriching treasure. 

"¥^IND Jesus lives, thy life to be, 
"* Who_mak'st him thy refuge ; 
And when he comes, thou'It joy to see 
Thy Husband shall be Judge. 

Should passing troubles thee annoy, 

Without, within, or both : 
Since endless life thou'lt then enjoy, 

Thy Husband pledg'd his troth. 

What won't he, even in time, impart 

That's for thv real good ? 
He gave his love, he gave his heart, 

Thy Husband gave his blood. 

He gives himself, and what should more ? 

. What can he then refuse ? 
If this won't please thee, ah ! how sore 
Thy Husband dost abuse ! 

Earth's fruit, heav'n's dew he won't deny:^ 

Whose eyes thy need behold : 
Nought under or above the sky 

Thy Husband will withhold. 



H2 GOSPEL SONNETS. Part II. 

Do losses grieve ? Since all is thine, 

What loss can thee befal ? 
All things for good to thee combine* 

Thy Husband orders all. 

Thoirrt not put off with barren leaves, 

Or dung of earthly pelf ; 
More wealth than heav'n and earth he gives, 

Thy Husband's thine himself. 

Thou hast enough to stay thy plaint, 

Else thou complain'st of ease ; 
For, having all, don't speak of want, 

Thy Husband may suffice. 

From this thy store, believing, take 

Wealth to the utmost pitch : 
The gold of Ophir cannot make, 

Thy Husband makes thee rich. 

Some flying gains acquire by pains, 

And some by plund'ring toil •, 
Such treasure fades, but thine remains, 

Thy Husband's cannot spoil. 

SECT. IX.— Christ zhe Believer's adorning Garment. 

"EA, thou excell'st in rich attire 
The lamp that lights the globe •, 
Thy sparkling garment heav'ns admire, 
Thy Husband is thy robe. 

This raiment never waxeth old, 

Tis always new and clean ; 
From summer-heat, and winter-cold, 

Thy Husband can thee screen. 

All who the name of worthies bore, 

Since Adam was undrest, 
No worth acquir'd, but as they wore 

Thy Husband's purple vest. 

* Rom, vii. 2S. 



Chap. I. THE BELIEVER'S JOINTURE. 115 

This linen fine can beautify 

The soul with sin begirt ; 
O bless his name, that e'er on thee 

Thy Husband spread his skirt. 
Are dunghills deck'd with flowery glore, 

Which Solomon's outvie ? 
Sure thine is infinitely more, 

Thy Husband decks the sky. 
Thy hands could never work the dress, 

By grace alone thou'rt gay ; 
Grace vents and reigns through righteousness, 

Thy Husband's bright array. 
To spin thy robe no more dost need 

Than lilies toil for theirs ; 
Out of his bowels every thread 

Thy Husband thine prepares. 

SECT. X.— 7 Christ7//<? Believer's sweet Nourishment. 

nnHY food, conform to thine array, . % 
-*- Is heav'nly and divine ; 
On pastures green, where angels play, 

Thy Husband feeds thee fine. 
Angelic food may make thee fair, 

and look with chearful face : 
The bread of Ire, the double share, , 
-jr- Thy Husband's love and grace. 
What can he give or thou desire, 

More than his flesh and blood ? 
Let angels wonder, saints admire,, 

Thy Husband is thy food. 
His flesh the incarnation bears 

From whence thy feeding flows \ 
His blood the satisfaction clears, 

Tbv Husband both bestows.. 
K3 



114 GOSPEL SONNETS. ' Part II. 

Th' incarnate God a sacrifice, 

To turn the wrathful tide, 
Is food for faith : that may suffice 

Thy Husband's guilty bride. 
• This strengthening food may fit and fence 

For work and war to come y 
Till thro' the cloud, some moments hence, 

Thy Husband bring thee home. 
Where plenteous feasting will succeed 

To scanty feeding here : 
And joyful at the table -head 

Thy Husband fair appear. 
The crumbs to banquets will give place 

And drops to rivers new : 
While heart and eye will face to face 

Thy Husband ever view. 

CHAP. II. 

Containing the Marks and Characters of 
the Believer in Christ; together with 
some farther privileges and grounds of com- 
fort to the Saints. 

SECT. I. — Doubting Believers called to examine, by marks 
drawn from their love to him and his presence, their 
view ofhis gloni/y and their being emptied of self-right** 
o times s, &c, 

rf^ OOD news ! but, says the drooping bride, 

^^ Ah ! what's all this to me ? 

Thou doubt'st thy right when shadows hide 

Thy Husband's face from thee. 
Through sin and guilt thy spirit faints. 

And trembling fears thy fate ; 
But harbour not thy groundless plaints, 

Thy Husband's advent wait. 



Chap. II. THE believer's jointure. 115 

Thou sob'st, " O were I sure he's mine, 

This would give gladd'ning ease ! " 
And say'st, Tho' wants and woes combine* 

Thy Husband would thee please. 
But up and down, and seldom clear, 

Inclos'd with hellish routs ; 
Yet yield thou not, nor foster fear ; 

Thy Husband hates thy doubts. 
Thy cries and tears may slighted seem, 

And barr'd from present ease ; 
Yet blame thyself, but never dream 

Thy. Husband's ill to please. 
Thy jealous unbelieving heart 

Still droops, and knows not why ; 
Then prove thyself to ease thy smart, 

Thy Husband bids thee try. 
The following questions puts to thee> 

As scripture-marks may tell, 
And shew, what e'er thy failings be, 

Thy Husband loves thee well. 

MARKS. 

A RT thou content when he's away ? 
-^- Can earth allay thy pants ? 
If conscience witness, won't it say, 

Thy Husband's all thou wants ? 
When he is near y (though in a cross), 

And thee with comfort feeds ; 
Dost thou not count the earth as dross, 

Thy Husband all thou needs ? 
In duties art thou pleas'd or pain'd, 

When far he's out of view ? 
And finding him, think'st all regain'd, 

Thy Husband always new. 
Tho' once thou thought'st, while Sinai mist 

And darkness compass'd thee, 
Thou wast undone \ and glorious Christ 

Thy Husband ne'er would be ; 



I "16 GOSPEL SONN T ETS. Parti: 

Yet know'st thou not a fairer place, 

Of which it may be told, 
That there the glory of his grace 

Thy Husband did unfold r 
Where heavenly beams inilam'dthy sou! r 

And love's seraphic art, 
With hallelujahs did 'extol 

Thy Husband in thy heart. 
Couldst then have wish'd all Adam's race , 

Had join'd with thee to gaze ; 
That viewing fond his comely face, 

Thy Husband might get praise ? 
Art thou disjoin'd from other lords ? 

Divorc'd from fed'ral laws ? 
While with most loving gospel cords 

Thy Husband kindly draws ? 
A'n't thou enlighten'd now to see 

Thy righteousness is naught 
But rags*, that cannot cover thee I 

Thy Husband so has taught. 
Dost see thy best performances 

Deserve but hell indeed ? 
And hence art led, renouncing these, 

Thy Husband's blood to plead ? 
When strengthen'd boldly to address 

That gracious throne of his, 
Dost find thy strength and righteousness^ 

Thy Husband only is ? 
Canst thou thy most exalted frame 

Renounce,. as withering grass, 
And firmly hold thine only claim 

Thy Husband's worthiness ? 
Canst pray with utmost holy f pith, 

And yet renounce thy good ?. 
And wash, not with thy tears, but with. 

Thy Husband's precious 1 blood ? 
* Isa. fctiv. 6. f Vigour or strength. 



Chap. II. THE BELIEVER'S JOINTURE. 127 

SECT. II. — Believers described from their Faith acting 
by divine aid y and fleeing quite cut of ' tliems elves to 
Christ. 

^1AN nothing less thy conscience ease, 
^ And please thy heart •, no less 
Than that which justice satisfies, 

Thy Husband's righteousness ? 
Dost see thy works so stain'd with sin, 

That thou through grace art mov'd 
To seek acceptance only in 

Thy Husband, the Belov'd ? 
Dost thou remind, that once a-day 

Free grace did strengthen thee, 
To gift thy guilty soul away, 

Thy Husband's bride to be ? 
Or dost thou mind the day of pow'f, 

Wherein he broke thy pride, 
And gain'd thy heart ? O happy hour, 

Thy Husband caught the bride ! 
He did thy enmity subdue, 

Thy bondage sad recal, 
Made thee to choose, and close pursue 

Thy Husband as thy all. 
What rest, and peace, and joy ensu'd 

Upon this noble choice ? 
Thy heart, with flow'rs of pleasure strew'd, 

Thy Husband made rejoice. 
Dost know thou ne'er couldst him embrace, 

Till he embraced thee ? 
Nor ever see him, till his face 

Thy Husband open'd free ? 
And findest to this very hour, 

That this is still the charm ; 
Thou canst do nothing, till with po? V 

Thy Husband shew his arm ? 



118 GOSPEL sonnets. Part II. 

Canst thou do nought by nature, art, 

Or any strength of thine, 
Until thy wicked, froward heart, 

Thy Husband shall incline ? 
But art thou, though without a wing 

Of pow'r aloft to flee, 
Yet able to do ev'ry thing, 

Thy Husband strengthening thee ? 
Dost not alone at duties fork *, 

But foreign aid enjoy ? 
And still in ev'ry piece of work 

Thy Husband's strength employ ? 
Thy motion heav'nly is indeed, 

While thou by faith dost move, 
And still in ev'ry time of need 

Thy Husband's grace improve. 
No common nat'ral faith can shew 

Its divine brood like this ; 
Whose object, author, feeder too, 

Thy Husband only is. 
Dost thou by faith on him rely ? 

On him, not on thy faith ? 
If faith shall with its object vie, 

Thy Husband's set beneath. 
.Their hands receiving faculty 

Poor beggars never view ; 
But hold the royal gift in eye : 

Thy Husband so wilt thou. 
Faith, like a gazing eye, ne'er waits 

To boast in seeing pow'rs ; 
Its object views, itself forgets •, 

Thy Husband it adores. 
It humbly still itself denies, 

Nor brags its acts at all ; 
Deep plung'd into its object lies, 

Thy Husband is its all. 

* Labour, wrestle, or toil 



Chap. II. THE believer's JOINTURE. 119 

No strength but his it has, and vaunts, 

No store but his can show : 
Hence nothing has, yet nothing wants, 

Thy Husband trains it so. 
Faith, o£ its own, no might can shew, 

Else would itself destroy ; 
But will, for all it has to do, 

Thy Husband .still employ. 
Self-saviours none could ever be 

By faith or grace of theirs ; - 
Their fruitless toil, so high that flee, 

Thy Husband's praise impairs. 
The seemingly devoutest deed, 

That would with shameless brow 
His saving trade take o'er his head, 

Thy Husband won't allow. 
Dost therefore thou to him alone 

Commit thy sinful soul ? 
Knowing of thy salvation 

Thy Husband is the whole. 



D ( 



SECT. III. — Believers characterised by the objects and 
purity of their desire •, delight, joy, haired, and love*, 
discovering they have the Spirit of Christ. 

fcOST thou his Spirit's conduct wait ? 
And, when compar'd to this, 
All worldly wisdom under- rate ? 

Thy Husband waits to bless. 
Tak'st thou his Spirit for thy guide 

Through Bacca's valley dry, 
Whose streams of influences glide 

Thy Husband's garden by ? 
In digging wells here by his pow'r 

Dost find it not in vain, 
While here a drop, and there a show'r, 

Thy Husband makes to rain ? 



120 GOSPEL SONWETS. Part II. 

Hence dost thou through each weary case, 

From strength to strength go on, 
From faith to faith, while grace for grace 

Thy Husband gives anon ? 
The good, the gracious work begun, 

And further'd by his strength, 
Shall prosp'rous, though with wrestling, win 

Thy Husband's crown at length. 
Sin's pow'r and presence canst thou own 

Is thy most grievous smart, 
That makes thee sob, and weep alone ? 

Thy Husband knows thy heart. 
Does love to him make thee distaste 

Thy lusts with all their charms ? 
And most them loath'st, when most thou hast 

Thy Husband in thine arms ? 
Are cords of love the sweetest ties 

To bind thee duty- ways ? 
And best thou serv'st when most thou spies 

Thy Husband's beauteous rays ? 
Didst ever thou thy pardon read 

In tears of untold joy ? 
When mercy made thy heart to b!eed> 

Thy Husband was not coy. 
Does pardon sweetly melt thy heart ? 

And most imbitter sin ? 
And make thee long with dross to part, 

Thy Husband's throne to win ? 
When he arises lusts to kill, 

Corruptions to destroy, 
Does gladness then thy spirit fill ? 

Thy Husband is thy joy. 
Dost thou his person fair embrace 

Beyond his blessings all ? 
Sure, then, thou boldly mayst through grace 

Thy Husband Jesus call. 



Chap. II. THE BELIEVER'S JOINTURE. 12 1 

What company dost thou prefer ? 

What friends above the rest ? 
Of all relations every where, 

Thy Husband is the best. 
Whom in the earth or heav'n dost thou 

Most ardently desire ? 
Is love's ascending spark unto 

Thy Husband set on fire ? 
Hast thou a hatred to his foes. 

And dost their course decline f 
Lov'st thou his saints, and dar'st suppose 

Thy Husband's friends are thine ? 
Dost thou their talk and walk esteem, 

When most divinely grave ? 
And favour'st best when most they seem 

Thy Husband's Sp'rit to have ? 

SECT. IV \~-Believers In Christ affect his counsel) 
ivord) ordinances, appearance, full enjoyment in lua* 
ven> and siveet presence here. 

X^THERE go'st thou first when in a strait, 

* * Or when with grief opprest ? 
Flee'st thou to Him ? O happy gate, 

Thy Husband is thy rest. 
His counsel seek'st thou still prepard, 

Nor canst without him live ? 
Wisdom to guide, and strength to guard* 

Thy Husband hath to give. 
Canst thou produce no pleasant pawn, 

Or token of his love ? 
Won't signets, bracelets, from his hand, 

Thy Husband's kindness prove ? 
Mind'st when he sent his healing word, 

Which, darting from on high, 
Did light, and life, and joy afford ? 

Thy Husband then was nigh. 
L 



122 gospel sonnets. Part IL 

Canst thou the promise sweet forget 

He dropt into thy heart ? 
Such gladd'ning pow'r and love with it, 

Thy Husband did impart. 
Dost thou affect his dwelling-place, 

And mak'st it thy repair ; 
Because thine eyes have seen, through grace, 

Thy Husband's glory there.? 
Dost love his great appearing day, 

And thereon muse with joy ; 
When dusky shades will fly away, 

Thy Husband death destroy ? 
Dost long to see his glorious face 

Within the higher orb, 
Where .humid sorrows losing place, 

Thy Husband's rays absorb ? 
Long'st to be free of ev'ry fault, 

To bid all sin adieu ? 
And mount the hill, where glad thou shalt 

Thy Husband's glory view ? 
Life where it lives, love where it loves, 

Will most desire to be : 
Such love-sick longing plainly proves 

Thy Husband's love to thee. 
What is it best can ease thy plaint, 

Spread morning o'er thine ev'n ? 
Is his approach thine heart's content, 

Thy Husband's presence heav'n ? 
And when deny'd this sweet relief, 

Canst thou assert full well, 
His hiding is thy greatest grief, 

Thy Husband's absence hell ? 
Let thy experience be disclos'd ; 

If conscience answer Yea 
To all the queries here propos'd, 

Thy Husband's thine for ay. 



Chap. II. THE BELIEVER'S JOINTURE. 123 

Pertain these characters to thee ? 

Then, soul, begin and praise 
His glorious worthy nam«, for he 

Thy Husband is always. 

SECT. V, -^—77^ true Believers humility ', dependence ', 
zeal, growth, admiration of free grace y and knowledge 
^Christ's voice. 

PERHAPS a saint may sigh and say, 
" I fear Pm yet to learn 
" These marks of marriage-love,' ' Yet stay, 

Thy Husband's bowels yearn. 
Though darkness may the lightcbscure, 

And storms surmount thy calms, 
Day yield to night, and thou be poor, 

Thy Husband yet has alms. 
Do'st see thyself an empty brat, 

A poor unworthy thing, 
"With heart upon the dust laid flat ? 

Thy Husband there does reign. 
Art in thine own esteems beast, 

And dost thyself abhor ? 
The more thou hast of self distaste, 

Thy Husband loves thee more. ^ 

Can hell breed no such wicked elf, 

As thou in thine own sight ? 
Thou'st got, to see thy filthy self, 

Thy Husband's purest light. 
Canst find no names so black, so vile, 

With which thou would'st compare, 
But call'st thyself a lump of hell ? 

Thy Husband calls thee fair. 
When his kind visits make thee see 

He's precious, thou art vile, 
Then mark the hand of God with thee^ 

Thy Husband give$. a smile. 



124 gospel sonnets. Part II. 

He knows what visits suit thy state, 

And though most rare they be, 
It sets thee well on him to wait, 

Thy Husband waits on thee. 
Dost see thou art both poor aijd weak, 

And he both full and strong ? 
O do not his delays mistake, * 

Thy Husband comes ere long* 
Though during Sinai's stormy stay, 

Thou dread'st the dismal blast, 
And fear'st thou art a cast-away, 

Thy Husband comes at last. 
The glorious Sun will rise apace, 

And spread his healing wings, 
In sparkling pomp of sov'reign grace, 

Thy Husband gladness brings. 
Canst thou, whate'er should come of thee, 

Yet wish his Zion well, 
And joy in her prosperity ? 

Thy Husband loves thy zeal. 
Dost thou admire his love to some, 

Though thou shouldst never share ? 
Mercy to thee will also come, 

Thy Husband hath to spare. 
Poor soul ! dost grieve for want of grace, 

And weep for want of love, 
And Jesus seek^st ! O hopeful case ! 

Thy Husband lives above. 
Regretting much thy falling short, 

Dost after more aspire ? 
There's hope in Israel for thy sort, 

Thy Husband's thy desire. 
Art thou well pleas'd that sov'reign grace, 

Through Christ, exalted be ? 
This frame denotes no hopeless case, 

Thy Husband's pleas'd with thee. 



Chap. IT. THE BELIEVER'S JOINTURE. If 6 

Couldst love to be the footstool low- 
On which his throne might rise, 
It's pompous grace around to show ? 

Thy Husband does thee prize. 
If but a glance of his fair face 

Can cheer thee more than wine 5 
Thou in his loving heart hast place, 

Thy Husband place in thine. 
Dost make his blood thy daily bath ? 

His word and oath thy stay ? 
His law- of love thy lightsome path ? 

Thy Husband is thy way. 
All things within earth's spacious womb 

Dost but count loss and dung, 
For one sweet word in season from 

Thy Husband's learned tongue ? 
Skill to discern and-know his voice, 

From words of wit and art 
Will clearly prove thou art his choice. 

Thy Husband thine in heart. 
The pompous words that fops admire, 

May vagrant fancy feast ; 
But with seraphic^ harmless fire. 

Thy Husband's burn the breast. 

SECT. VI— True Believers are willing to bj tried and 
examined. Comforts arising to iliemfrom Christ's 
ready supply ^ real sympathi/, and rditving names,, 
suiting their needs. 

S^kOST thou upon thy trak'rous heart . 
-™-^ Still keep a jealous eye? 
Most willing that thine inward part , 

Thy Husband strictly try ? 
The thieving crowd wilLhate the light, 

Lest stoPn effects be shown \ 
But truth desires what's wrong or rights 

Thy Husband would make known, 
L3 



26 GOSPEL SOXXE-TS. Part II#> 

- Dost then his trying word await, ^. 

His searching doctrine love ? 
Fond, lest thou err through self-deceit, ' — 

Thy Husband would thee prove ? \ 

Does oft thy mind with inward smart ^ 

Bewail thy unbelief ? 
And conscious sue from plagues of heart 

Thy Husband for relief? 
Why doub**st his love ? and yet, behold 

With him thou would'st not part 
For thousand thousand earths of gold - y 

Thy Husband has thy heart. 
Though darkness, deadness, unbelief, 

May all thy soul attend ; 
Light, life, and faith's mature relief, 

Thy Husband has to send. • 
Of wants annoying, why complain ? 

Supply arises hence ; 
W&at gifts he has receiv'd for men *, 

Thy Husband will dispense. 
He got them in's exaltedrstafe 

For rebels such as thou ; 
All then that's needful, good, or great, 

Thy Husband will allow. 
Thy wants he sees, thy cries he hears y 

And, marking all thy moans, 
He in his bottle keeps thy tears, 

Thy Husband notes thy groans. 
All thine infirmities him touch, 

They strike his fueling heart °, 
His kindly sympathy is such, 

Thy Husband finds the smart. 
Whatever touches thee affects 

The apple of his eye •, 
Whatever harms he therefore checks, 
Thy Husband's aid is nigh. 
* Psalm Ixviii. 18* 



Chap. II. THE BELIEVER'S JOINTURE. 127 

If foes are spar'd, thy need is such, 

He slays them but in part : 
He can do all, and will do much, 

Thy Husband acts by art. 
He often for the saddest hour 

Reserves the sweetest aid : 
See how such banners heretofore 

Thy Husband has display'd. 
Mind where he vouched his good-will, 

Sometimes at Hermon * mount, 
In Jordan land, at Mizar hill ; 

Thy Husband keeps the count. 
At sundry times and divers ways* 

To suit thy various frames, 
Has seen, like rising golden rays, 

Thy Husband's various names. 
When guilty conscience ghastly star'd, 

JEHOVAH-TSIDKENUf, 

The Lord thy righteousness appear'd* 

Thy Husband in thy view. 
When in thy straits or wants extreme, 

Help fail'd on ev'ry side, 
Jehovah-Jirah % was his name, 

Thy Husband did provide. 
When thy long absent Lord didst moan, 

And to his courts repair ; 
Then was Jehovah-shammah § known, 

Thy Husband present there. 
When thy assaulting foes appeared 

In robes of terror clad, 
Jehovah- nissi f then was rear'd, 

Thy Husband's banner spread. 
When furies arm'd with fright'ning guilt, 

Dunn'd war without surcease ; 

* Psalm xlii. 6f. f Jer. xxiii. 6. J Gen. xxii. 14. 
§ Ezek. xlviii. 35. Exod. xvii. 15. 



123 Cospel sqnxets.- Partita 

Jehovak-gkalom * then was built, 

Thy Husband sent thee peace. 
When thy diseases death proclaimed, 

And creature-balsams fail'd, 
Jehovah-rophi I then was fram'd ; 

Thy Husband kindly heal'd. 
Thus, as thy various needs require, 

In various modes like these, 
The help that suits thy heart's desire, 

Thy Husband's name conveys. 
To th* little flock, as cases vary, 

The great Jehovah shews 
Himself a little sanctuary ±, 

Thy Husband gives the views, 

SECT. VH The Believer's experience of Christ"<t 

comfortably presence, or of former coo forts, to be im- 
proved for his encouragement and support Under dark- 
n&s and /tidings. 

TT^OST mind tlie place, the spot of land, 
-*-^ Where Jesus did thee meet ?' 
And how he got thy heart and hand ? 

Thy Husband then was sweet. 
Dost mind the garden, chamber, bank, 

A vale of vision seenvd? 
The joy was full, thy heart was frank, 

Thy Husband much esteem'd. 
Let thy experience sweet declare, 

If able to remind ; 
A Bochim here, a Bethel there, 

Thy Husband made thee finely 
Was such a corner, such a" pi ace, . 

A paradise to thee, 
A Peniel, where face to face 

Thy Husband fair didst see ?? 
♦ Judg. vi. 24. { Exodus if. 2o. f Ezekkl xl \G> 



Chap. II. THE BELIEVER'S JOINTURE. 129 

There did he clear thy cloudy cause, 

Thy doubts and fears destroy ; 
And on thy spirit seal'd he was 

Thy Husband with great joy. 
Couldst thou have said it boldly then, 

And seal'd it with thy blood ? 
Yea, welcome death with pleasure, when 

Thy Husband by thee stood. 
That earth again should thee insnare, 

O how thy heart was pain'd ! 
For all its fading glory there 

Thy Husband's beauty stain'd. 
The thoughts of living more in sin 

Were then like hell to thee ; 
The life of heav'n did thus begin, 

Thy Husband set thee free. 
Whate'er thou foundst him at thy best, 

He's at thy worst the same ; 
And in his love ivill ever rest, *S 

Thy Husband holds his claim. 
Let faith these visits keep in store, 

Though sense the pleasure miss j 
The God of Bethel, as before, 

Thy Husband always is. - 
In meas'ring his approaches kind, 

And timing his descents j 
In free and sov'reign ways thou'lt find 

• Thy Husband thee prevents. 
Prescribe not to him in thy heart, 

He's infinitely wise. 
How oft he throws his loving dart, 

Thy Husband does surprise. 
Perhaps a sudden gale thee blest, 

While walking in thy road ; 
Or on a journey, ere thou wist* 

Thy Husband look'd thee broad* 



ISO GOSPEL SONNETS. Part XL 

Thus was the eunuch fam'd (his stage 

A riding on "the way, 
As he revolv'd the sacred page*) 

Thy Husband's happy prey. 
In hearing, reading, singing, prayer, 

When darkness compass'd thee, 
Thou foundst, or e'er thou wast aware,. 

Thy Husband's light'ning free. 
Of heav'nly gales don't meanly think : 

For, though thy soul complains, 
They're but a $hort and passing blink \ 

Thy Husband's love remains. 
Think not, though breezes haste away, 

Thou dost his £ ivour lose ; 
But learn to foaojte his so v 'reign way \ 

Thy. Husband .comes and goes. 
Don't siy h&'£ gone for ever, though 

His visits he adjourn ; 
For yet a little while, and lo 

Thy Husband will return. 
In worship social, or retir'd, 

Dost d.-ou his absence wail ? 
Wait at his shore, antl be not fear'd, 

Thy Husband's ship's a-sail. 
Yea, though in duties sense may miss 

Thy soul's beloved one ; 
Yet do not faint, for never is 

.Thy Husband wholly gone. 
Though Satan, sin, earth, hell, at once 

Would thee of joy bereave ; 
Mind what he said, he won't renounce, 

Thy Husband, will not leave. 
Though foes assail, and friendship fail. 

Thou hast a friend at court : 
The gates of hell shall ne'er prevail,.. 

Thy Husband is thy fort. 

* Acts viii. 27—??, 



Chap. II. THE BELIEVER/S JOINTURE. 131 

-SECT. VIII. — Comfort- to Believers from the stability of 
the promise ^ not -wit Ji standing heavy chastisements for sin. 

jrspAKE well howe'er kind Wisdom may 
-*■ Dispose thy present lot : 
Tho' heav'n and earth should pass away, 

Thy Husband's love will not. 
All needful help he will afford, 

Thou hast his vow and oath ; 
And once to -violate his word 

Thy Husband will be loth. 
To fire and floods with thee he'll down, 

His promise thisinsures, 
Whose credit cannot burn nor drown : 

Thy Husband's truth endures. 
Dost thou no more his word believe, 

As mortal man's,- forsooth ? 
O do not thus his Spirit grieve, 

Thy Husband is the Truth. 
Though thou both wicked art and weak, 

His word he'll never rue ; 
Tho' heav'n and earth should bend and break, 

Thy Husband will be true. 
I'll never leave thee*, is his vow ; 

If Truth has said the word, 
While Truth is truth, this word is true, 

Thy Husband is the Lord. 
Thy covenant of duties may 

Prove daily most unsure : 
His covenant of grace for ay 

Thy Husband does secure. 
Dost thou to him thy promise break, 

And fear he break to thee ? 
Nay, not thy thousand crimes can make 

Thy Husband once to lie. 
* Heb xiii. 5. 



90 T GOSPEL SONNETS. Part II. 

He visit will thy sins "with strokes > 

And lift his heavy hand ; 
But never once his word revokes, 

Thy Husband's truth will stand. 
Then dream not he is chang'd in love, 

When thou art chang'd in frame ; 
Thou mayst by turns unnumber'd move. 

Thy Husband's ay the same. 
He for thy follies may thee bind 

With cords of great distress ; 
To make thee moan thy sins, and mind 

Thy Husband's holiness. 
By wounds he makes thee seek his cure, 

By frowns his favour prize ; 
By fails affrighting, stand more sure, 

Thy Husband is so wise. 
Proud Peter in the dirt of vice 

Fell down exceeding low ; , 
His tow'ring pride, by tumbling thrice, 

Thy Husband cured so. 
Before he suffer pride that swells, 

He'll drag thee through the mire 
Of sins, temptations, little hells ; 

Thy Husband saves by fire. 
He in affliction's mortar may 

Squeeze out old Adam's juice, 
Till thou return to him, and say, 

Thy Husband is thy choice. 
Fierce billows may thy vessel toss, 

And crosses curses seem ; 
But that the curse has fled the cross, 

Thy Husband bids thee deem. 

Conclude not he in wrath disowns, 

When trouble thee surrounds \ 
These are his favourable frowns, 

Thy Husband's healing wounds* 



Chap. H. the believer's joiktdre. 133 

Yea, when he gives the deepest lash, 

Love leads the wounding^ hand ; 
His stroke, when sin has got a dash, 
Thy Husband will remand. 



SECT. IX. — Comfort to Believers, in Christ's ra- 
tions in his dying love, his glory in heaven, to which he 
ivill lead them through death, and supply with all ne- 
cessaries by the way. 



BEHOLD the patrimony broad 
That falls to thee by line ; 
In him thou art an heir of God, 

Thy Husband's Father's thine. 
He is of relatives a store, 

Thy Friend will help in thrall ; 
Thy Brother much, thy Father more, 

Thy Husband most of all. 
All these he does amass and share, 

In ways that most excel : 
'Mong all the husbands ever were, 

Thy Husband bears the bell. 
Whence run the streams of all thy good. 

But from his pierced side ? 
With liquid gold of precious blood 

Thy Husband bought his bride. 
His blood abundant value bore, 

To make his purchase broad, 
'Twas fair divinity in gore, 

Thy Husband is thy God. 
Who purchas'd at the highest price, 

Be crown'd with highest praise ; 
For in the highest paradise 

Thy Husband wears the bays* 
M 



134 GOSPEL SONNETS. Part II. 

He is of Heav'n the comely rose, 

His beauty makes it fair ; 
Heav'n were but hell, couldst thou suppose 

Thy Husband were not there. 
He thither did in pomp ascend, 

His spouse along to bring: 
Then Hallelujahs without end, 

Thy Husband's bride may sing. 
Ev'n there, with him for ever fix'd, 

His glory shalt thou see j 
And nought but death is now betwixt 

Thy Husband's throne and thee. 
He'll order death, that porter rude, 

To ope the gates of brass ; 
Tor lo ! with characters of blood, 

Thy Husband wrote thy pass. 
At Jordan deep then be not scar'd, 

Though dismal like and broad ; 
Thy sun will guide, thy shield will guard, 

Thy Husband pav'd the road. 
He'll lead thee safe, and bring thee home, 

And still let blessings fall 
Of grace while here, till glory come : 

Thy Husband's bound for al>. 
His store can answer ev'ry bill, 

Thy food and raiment's bought ; 
Be at his will, thou'lt have thy fill, 

Thy Husband wants for nought. 
What can thy soul conceive it lacks ? 

His store, his pow'r is thine ; 
His lib'ral heart to lib'ral acts, 

Thy Husband does incline. 
Though on thy hand, that has no might, 

He should thy task enlarge ; 
Nor work nor warfare needs the fright, 

Thy Husband bears the charge. 



Chap. II. THE BELIEVER^ JOINTURE. S> 

Thou wouldst (if left) thyself undo, 

So apt to fall and stray ; 
But he uplifts and leads thee too : 

Thy Husband knows the way. 

SECT. X.— Comfort to Believers from the text, Thy Ma- 
ker is thy Husband, inverted thus, Thy Husband is 
thy Maker ; and the conclusion of this subject. 

f\F light and life, of grace and glore, 
^J In Christ thou art partaker j 
Rejoice in him for evermore, 

Thy Husband is thy Maker. 
He made thee, yea, made thee his bride, 

Nor heeds thine ugly patch ; 
To what he made he'll still abide, 

Thy Husband made the match. 
He made all ; yea, he made all thine, 

All to thee shall be giv'n, 
Who can thy kingdom undermine I 

Thy Husband made the heav'n. 
What earthly things can thee annoy ? 

He made the earth to be ; 
The waters cannot thee destroy, 

Thy Husband made the sea. 
Don't fear the flaming element 

Thee hurt with burning ire ; 
Or that the scorching heat torment : 

Thy Husband made the fire. 
Infectious streams shall ne'er destroy 

While he is pleas'd to spare ; 
Thou shalt thy vital breath enjoy, 
. Thy Husband made the air. 
The sun that guides the ^golden day, 

The moon that rules the night, 
The starry frame, the milky way, 

Thy Husband made for light. 



1S6 GOSPEL sonnets. Part IT, 

The bird that wings its airy path, 

The fish that cuts the flood, 
The creeping croud that swarms beneath, 

Thy Husband made for good. 
The grazing herd, the beasts of prey, 

The creatures great and small, 
£or thy behoof their tribute pay, 

Thy Husband made them all. 
Thine's Paul, Apollos, life, and de&h. 

Things present, things to be ; 
And ev'ry thing that being hath, 
Thy Husband made for thee. 
In Tophet of the damn'd's resort 

Thy soul shall never dwell, 
Nor needs from thence imagine hurt, 

Thy Husband formed hell, 
Satan, with instruments of his, 

May rage, yet dread no evil ; 
So far as he a creature is, 

Thy Husband made the devil. 
His black temptations may afflict, 

His fiery darts aunoy ; 
But all his works, and hellish trick, 

Thy Husband will destroy. 
Let armies strong of earthly gods 

Combine with hellish ghosts, 
They live, or languish, at his nods ; 

Thy Husband's Lord of hosts. 
What can thee hurt ? whom dost thou fear ? 

All things are at his call ; 
Thy Maker is thy Husband dear, 

Thy Husband all in all. 
What dost thou seek ? what dost thou want i 

He'll thy desires fulfil ? * 

He gave himself, what won't he grant ? 
Thy Husband's at thy will. 



Chap. II. THE BELIEVER'S JOINTURE. 137 

The more thou dost of him desire, 

The more he loves to give : 
High let thy mounting arms aspire, 

Thy Husband gives thee leave. 
The less thou seek'st, the less thou dost 

His bounty set on high ; 
But higher seekers here do most 

Thy Husband glorify, 
Wouldst thou have grace ? Well ; but 'tis meet 

He should more glory gain. 
Wouldst thou have Father, Son, and Spirit i 

Thy Husband says, Amen. 
He'll kindly act the lib'ral God, 

Devising lib'ral things ; 
With royal gifts his subjects load ; 

Thy Husband's King of kings. 
No earthly monarchs have such store 

As thou hast ev'n in hand - y 
But, O how infinitely more 

Thy Husband gives on band ! 
Thou hast indeed the better part, 

The part will fail thee never : 
Thy Husband's hand, thy Husband's heart,. 

Thy Husband's all for ever. 



END OF THE POEM UPON ISAIAH LIV» 5, 



M 



( 7 35 ) 
GOSPEL SONNETS. 



PART III. 



THE BELIEVER'S RIDDLE 

O R, . 

THE MYSTERY OF FAITH. 



The preface, 

SHEWING THE USE AND DESIGN OF THE RIDDLE. 

X> EADER, the foll'wing enigmatic song, 

-"^ Does not to wisest nat'ralists belong : 

Their wisdom is but folly on this head : 

They here may ruminate, but cannot read. „ 

For tho 9 they glance the lines, the meaning chokes, 

They read the words, but not the paradox. 

The subject will, however the phrase be blunt, 

Their most acute intelligence surmount, s 

If with the nat'ral and acquired sight 

They share not divine evangelic light. 

Great wits may rpuse their fancies, rack their braics. 
And after all their labour, lose their pains ; 
JTheir wisest comments were but witless chat, 
Unapt to frame an explication pat. 
No unregen'rate mortal's best engines 
Can right unriddle these few rugged lines j 
Nor any proper notions thereof reach, 
Though sublimated t© the highest stretch. 
Masters of reason, plodding men of sense, 
Who scorn to mortify their vain pretence, 



Part III. THE believer's jointure. 1 3# 

In this mysterious deep might plod their fill ; 

It overtops the top of all their skill. 

The more they vainly huff, and scorn to read, 

The more it does their foolish wit exceed. 

Those sinners that are sanctified in part, 
May read this Riddle truly in their heart. 
Yea, weakest saints may feel its truest sense, 
Both in their sad and sweet experience. 
Don't overlook it with a rambling view, 
And rash suppose it neither good nor true/ 
Let Heaven's pure oracles the truth decide : 
Renounce it, if it can't that test abide. • 

Noble Beareans soon the sense may hit, 
Who sound the divine depth of sacred writ, 
Not by what airy carnal reason saith, 
But by the golden line of heaven^spun faith. 

Let not the naughty phrase make you disprove 
The weighty matter which deserves your love. 
High strains would spoil the Riddle's grand intent, 
To teach the weakest, most illiterate saint, 
That Mahanaim is his proper name ; 
In whom two struggling hosts make bloody game. 
That such may know, whose knowledge is but rude, 
How good consists with ill, and ill with good. 
That saints be neither at their worst nor best. 
Too much exalted, or too much deprest. 

This paradox is fitted to disclose 
The skill of Zion's friends above her foes ; 
To difference, by light that Heaven transmits, 
"Some happy fools from miserable wits. 
And thus (if bless'd) it may in some degree 
Make fools their wit, and wits their folly see. 
Slight not the Riddle then with jargon vile, 
Because not garnish'd with a pompous stile. 
Could th' author act the lofty poet's part 
Who make their sonnets soar on wings of art, 
He on this theme had blush'd to use his skill, 
And either dipt his wings, or broke his quill. 



140 GOSPEL SONNETS. Part III. 

Why, thus enigma climbs such divine heights, 
As scorn to be adorn'd with human flights. 
These gaudy strains would lovely truth disgrace, 
As purest paint deforms a comely face. 
Heav'n's mysteries are 'bove art's ornament, 
Immensely brighter than its brightest paint, 
No tow'ring lit'rature could e'er outwit 
The plainest diction fetch'd from sacred writ, 
By which mere blazing rhet'ric is outdone, 
As twinkling stars are by the radiant sun. 
The soaring orators, who can with ease 
Strain the quintessence o£ hyperboles f 
And clothe the barest theme with purest dress, 
Might here expatiate much, yet say the less, 
If w' th' magestical simplicity 
Of scripture orat'ry they disagree. 

These lines pretend not to affect the sky, 
Content among inglorious shades to lie, 
Provided sacred truth be fitly clad, 
Or glorious shine ev'n through the dusky shade. 
Mark then, though you should miss the gilded strain, 
If they a store of golden truth contain : 
Nor under-rate a jewel rare and prime, 
Though wrapt up in the rags of homely rhime. 

Though haughty Deists hardly stoop to say, 
That nature's night has need of scripture day : 
Yet gospel-light alone will clearly shew 
How ev'ry sentence here is just and true, 
Expel the shades that may the mind involve, 
And soon the seeming contradiction solve. 
All fatal errors in the world proceed 
From want of skill such mysteries to read. 
Vain men the double branch of truth divide, 
Hold by the one, and slight the other side. 

Hence proud Arminians cannot reconcile 
Freedom of grace with freedom of the will. 
The blinded Papist won't discern nor see 
He ' works are good, unless they justify. 



Part III. THE believer's riddle. 141 

Thus Legalists distinguish not the odds 
Between their home-bred righteousness and God's. 
Antinomists the saints' perfection plead, 
Nor duly sever 'tween them and their head. 
Socinians won't these seeming odds agree, 
How heav'n is bought, and yet salvation free. 
Bold Arians hate to reconcile or scan, 
How Christ is truly God and truly man : 
Holding the one part of Immanuel's name, 
The other part outrageously blaspheme. 
The sound in faith no part of truth controul : 
Heretics own the half, but not the whole. 

Keep then the sacred myst'ry still entire ; 
To both the sides of truth do favour bear, 
Not quitting one to hold the other branch ; 
But passing judgment on an equal bench; 
The Riddle has two feet, and were but one 
Gut off, truth falling to the ground were gone. 
Tis ail a contradiction, yet all true, 
And happy truth, if verify'd in you. 
Go forward then to read the lines, but stay 
To read the Riddle also by the way. 



142 GOSPEL SONNETS. Part III, 

SECT. I. — The mystery of the Saints' PEDIGREE, and e- 
specially of their relation to Christ's wonderful person. 

T%/I~ Y life's a maze of seeming traps, a 

A scene of miseries and mishaps \ q 
A heap of jarring to and froes, c 
A field of joys, a flood of woes, d 

Pin in mine own and others' eyes, 

A labyrinth of mysteries, e 

I'm something that from nothing came,/ 

Yet su$£ it is, I nothing am. g 



a Josh. xxii. 13. And Joshua said, Know for a certainty, that 
the Lord your God will no more drive out any of these nations 
from before you; but they shall be snares and traps unto you, and 
scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, &c. Psalm cxxiv. 
7. Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers 5 
the snare is broken, and we are escaped. 

b Or miseries. Lam. iii. 19. Remembering mine affliction and 
my misery, the wormwood and the gall. <v. 22. It is of the Lord v s 
mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 
Psalm ex. 1. I will sing of mercy and judgment : unto thee, O Lord, 
will I sing. 

c Psalm cii. 10. Thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down., 
Psalm cix. 23. I am tossed up and down as the locust. 

d Hab. iii. 17. 18. Although the fig-tree shall not blossom, nei- 
ther shall fruit be in the vine, the labour of the olive shall fail, 
and the fields shall yield no meat, the flocks shall be cut off from 
the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stall ; yet will I rejoice 
in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. 

e Isa. viii. 18. Behold I and the children whom the Lord hath 
given me, are for signs, and for wonders in Israel ; from the Lord 
<t[ hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion. Zech. iii. 8. Hear now, 
O Joshua, the high priest, thou and thy fellows that sit before 
thee ; for they are men wondered at, &c. Psalm Ixxi. 7. I am as 
a wonder unto many, but thou art my strong refuge. 

/Gen. i. 1. In the beginning God created the heaven and the 
earth. Heb. xi. 3. Through faith we understand that the worlds 
were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen 
were no: made of things which do appear. 

g Isa. xl. 17. All nations before him are as nothing, and they 
ere counted to him less than nothing and vanity. Dai:, iv. 5f. 
All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing* 



Sect. I. THE BELIEVER'S RIDDLE. 143 

Once I was dead, and blind, and lame h, 
Yea, I continue still the same i \ 
Yet what I was, I am no more k } 
Nor ever shall be as before /. 

My Father lives m, my father's gone //, 
My vital head both lost and won o. 
My parents cruel are and kind p> 
Of one, and of a different mind q. 

h Eph. ii. 1. And you hath he quickened, who were dead in tres- 
passes and sins. Rev, iii. 17. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and 
increased in goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not- 
that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and 
naked. Isa. xxxv. 6. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, 
and the tongue of the dumb sing; for in the wilderness shall waters 
break out, and streams in the desert. 

i Rom. vii. 14. For we know that the law is spiritual; but I 
am carnal, sold under sin. *u» 24. O wretched man that I am, 
who shall deliver me from the body of this death ? 

k Rom. vii. 17. Now then, it is no more I that do it, but sin 
that dwelleth in me. v. 20. Now if I do that 1 would not, it is 
no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. John ix. 25. 
He (the blind man) answered and said, Whether he be a sinner, 
or no, I know not; one thing 1 know, that whereas I was blind, 
now I see. 

/ Rom. xi. 29. For the gifts and calling of God are without re- 
pentance. Jer. xxxii. 40. And I will make an everlasting cove- 
nant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them 
good ; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not 
depart from me. 

m Isa. ix. 6. His name shall be called — The everlasting Father. 
Rev. i. 18. T am he that liveth, and was dead; and behold, I am 
alive for evermore. Amen. 

n Hos. xiv. 3. In thee the fatherless findeth mercy. Zech. \.5. 
Your fathers where are they ? and the prophets, do they live for 
ever ? 

o I Cor. xv. 45. It is written, The first man Adam was made 
a living soul, the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. • 

p Psalm ciii. 13. Like as a father pitieth his children; so the 
Lord pitieth them that fear him. Isa. xliii. 27. Thy first father 
hath sinned, and thy teachers have transgressed against me. 

q Job xx iii. 13. But he is in one mind, and who can turn him ? 
and what his soul desireth, even that he doth. Rom. viii. 5. For 
they that are after the flesh, do mind the things of the flesh ; but 
they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit, nj. 7. Be- 
cause the carnal mind is enmity against God : for it is not subject 
to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 



14?4 GOSPEL sonnets, Part III' 

My father poison'd me to death r, 
My mother's hand will stop my breath, s j 
Her womb, that once my substance gave, 
Will very quickly be my grave s. 

My sisters all my flesh will eat /, 
My brethren tread me under feet u ; 
My nearest friends are most unkind v f 
My greatest foe's my greatest friend w. 

He could from feud to friendship pass, 
Yet never change from what he was x, 

r Rom. v. 12. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the 
world, and death by sin : and so death passed upon all men; for 
that all have sinned. 

/Gen. iii. 16. Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply 
thy sorrow, and thy conception : in sorrow thou shalt bring forth 
children, &c. 

s Psalm cxlvi. 4. His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his 
earth ; in that very day his thoughts perish. Eccl. ii. 20. All go 
unto one place, all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again. 

t Job xvii. 14. I have said to corruption. Thou art my father ; 
to the worm, Thou art my mother and my sister. Chap. xix. 26. 
And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my 
flesh shall I see God. 

u Even in a moral sense, Jer. xii. 10. Many pastors have des- 
troyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot, they 
have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness, Ezek. xxxiv. 
18. Seemeth it a small thing unto you, to have eaten up the good 
pasture, but ye must tread down with your feet the residne of yeur 
pastures? and to have drunk of the deep waters, but ye must foul 
the residue with your feet ? 

ii Psalm lv. 12, 13. For it was not an enemy that reproached 
me, then I could have borne it ; neither was it he that hated me, 
tftat did magnify himself against me, then I would have hid myself 
from him. But it was thou, a man, mine equal, my guide, and 
mine acquaintance. Mic. vii. 5, 6. Trust ye not ina friend, put ye 
not confidence in a guide; keep the doors of thy mouth from her 
that iieth in thy bosom. For the son dishonoureth the father, the 
daughter riseth up against the mother, the daughter-in-law against 
her mother-in-law ; a man's enemies are the men of his own house. 

<w Psalm vii. 11. God is angry with the wicked every day. 2 
Cor. v. 19. God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, 
not imputing their trespasses unto them. 

* Mai. iii, 16. For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye 
sons of Jacob are not consumed. Hos. xiv. 4. I will heal their 
backsliding, I will love them freely; for mine anger is turned 
away from him* 



Part III. the believer's riddle. ^44-5 

He is my Father, he alone, 
Who is my Father's only Son y. 

I am his mother's son 2;, yet more, 
A son his mother a never bore, 
But born of him £, and yet aver 
His Father's sons my mother's were c. 

I am divorc'd, yet marry'd still d y 
With full consent against my will e. 
My husband present is/, yet gone g % 
We differ much, yet still are one h* 

He is the first, the last, the all /, 
Yet number'd up with insects small k. 

y John xx. 17. Jesus saith unto her (Mary, J Touch me not : for 
I am not yet ascended unto my Father : but go to my brethren, 
and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father and your Father, and 
to my God and your God, Isa. ix. 6, Unto us a Son is given : — » 
and his name shall be called— the everlasting Father. John i. 14, 
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (and we be- 
held his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father) 
full of grace and truth. 

% Song iii. 4, It was but a little that I passed from them, but I 
found him whom my soul loveth; I held him, and woukl not let 
him go, until 1 had brought him into my mother's house, and into 
the chamber of her that conceived me. i>. 11. Go forth, O ye 
daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon with the crown 
wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, 
and in the day of the gladness of his heart. 

a woi. His natural mother according to the flesh. 

b John i. IS, Which were born not of blood, nor of the will of 
the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. m 

c Gal. iv. 26, But Jerusalem which is above, is free, which is 
the mother of us all. 

d Rom. vii. 4, Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dezd 
to the law by the body of Christ ; and that ye should be married 
to another, even to him who is raised from the dead. 

e Psalm ex. 3, Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy 
power. 

/Matth. xxviii. 20, Lo, I am with ycu always, even unto the 
end of the world. 

g John xiv. 2, 1 go to prepare a place for you. 

b John xvii. 21. That they all may be one, as thou, Father, ars 
in me, and I in thee; that they also may be one in us. 
i i Rev. i. 1 L, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last 
Col. iii. 11, Christ is all, and in all. 

k Psalm xxii. 6, But I am a worm, and no man. 

N 



116 GOSPEL SONNETS, Part III. 

The first of all things /, yet alone, 
The second of the great Three-one m. 

A creature never could he be, 
Yet is a creature strange I see n $ 
And own this uncreated one, 
The son of man, yet no man's son o. 

He's omnipresent all may knowjp; 
Yet never could be wholly so q. x 

His manhood is not here and there r, 
Yet he is God-man ev'ry where J*. 

/ Col. i. 15, 16, Who is the image of the invisible God, the first- 

. "born of every creature: for by him were all things created that 

are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether 

they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers : all 

things were created by him, and for him. 

in 1 John v. 7, For there are three that bear record in heaven, 
the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost : and these three are 
one. Matth. xxviii. 18, Go ye therefore and teach all nations, bap- 
tising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the 
Holy Ghost. 

n John i. 2, 3. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word 
was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the be- 
ginning with God. All things were made by him, and without 
him was not any thing made that was made. ver. 14, And the 
Word was mack flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glo- 
ry, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace 
and truth. 

o Matth. i. 23, Behold a virgin shall be with child, and shall 
bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which 
being interpreted is, G od with us. Luke i. 34, 35. Then said Mary 
unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man ? And 
the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come 
upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee; 
therefore also that Holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be 
called the Son of God. 

p Psalm cxxxix. 7, 8, 9, 10. Whither shall I go from thy Spirit ? 
or, whither shall I flee from thy presence ? If I ascend up into hea- 
ven, thou art there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art 
there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the utter- 
most parts of the sea; even there shall thy hand find me, and thy 
right hand shall hold me. 

q Luke xxiv. 6, He is not here, but is risen. 

r John xvi. 16, A little while and ye shall not see me; and again 
a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father. 

/Matth. i. 23, See le;ter o. Chap, xxviii. ^3, Lo, I am witfe 
you alway, even unto the end of the world. 



Part III. THE believer's riddle. 147 

He comes and goes, none can him trace sy 
Yet never could he change his place t. 
But though he's good u, and ev'ry where, 
No good's in hell, yet he is there v. 

I by him w, in him x chosen was y> 
Yet of the choice he's not the cause z i 
For sov'reign mercy ne'er was bought a, 
Yet through his blood a vent is sought b. 

In him concenter'd at his death 

His Father's love r, his Father's wrath d\, 

t John iii. 8, The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou near- 
est the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and 
whither it goeth ; so is every one that is born of the Spirit. 

t Isa. lxvi. 1, Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, 
and the earth is my footstool ; where is the house that ye build 
unto me ? and where is the place of my rest ? 

n Psalm c. 5, The Lord is good, his mercy is everlasting. 

*v Psalm cxxxix. 8, If I make my bed in hell, behold thou art 
there. 

nv As God. a? As Mediator. 

y Eph. i. 4, According as he hath chosen U9 in h(m before the 
foundation of the world, that we should be holy, and without 
blame before him in love. 

% But himself the Father's first elect. Isa. xlii. 1, Behold my 
servant, whom I uphold ; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth. 
Mat. xii. 18, Behold, my servant, whom I have chosen, my belo- 
ved, in whom my sou] is well pleased. , 

a John iii. 16, God so loved the world, that he gave his only be* 
gotten Son, &c Rom. ix* 11, For the children being not yet 
born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of 
God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him 
that calleth. ver. 13, It is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau 
have I hated, ver. 15, God saith to Moses, I will have mercy on 
whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I 
will have compassion. 

b Rom. iii. 24, 25, Being justified freely by his grace, through 
the redemption that is in Jesus Christ ; whom God hath set forth 
to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood, to declare his righ- 
teousness for the remission of sins, &c. Chap. v. 9, Being justified 
by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him, ver. 21. 
That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign 
through righteousness unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord. 

c John x. 17, Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay 
down my life, that I might take it again. 

d Isa. Iii. 10, Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath 
put him to grief. 



H8 GOSPEL sonnets. Part III. 

Ev'n he whom passion never seiz'd e. 
Was then most angry when most pleas'djf. 

Justice required that he should die g, 
Who yet was slain unrighteously h ; 
And died in mercy and in wrath, 
A lawful and a lawless death i. 

With him I neither liv'd nor died, 
And yet with him was crucify'd^, 
Law-curses stopt his breath, that he 
Might stop its mouth from cursing me /• 

'Tis now a thousand years and more 
Since heav'n receiv'd him •, yet I know > 
When he ascended up on high 
To mount the throne, ev'n so did I m. 

Hence though earth's dunghill I embrace, 
I sit with him in heav'nly place //, 

e Isa. xxvii. 4, Fury is not in me. 

/ Rom. viii. 23, He spared not his own Son, but delivered him 
up for us all. Eph. v. 2, Christ hath given himself for us, an of- 
fering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour. 

g Heb. vii. 22, By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better 
testament. Chap. ix. 16, For where a testament is, there must al- 
so of necessity be the death of the testator, ver. 22, 23, And almost 
all things are by the law purged with blood ; and without shedding 
of blood is no remission. It was therefore necessary that the pat- 
terns of things in the.heavens should be purified with these; but 
the heavenly things themselves with" better sacrifices than these. 

h Matth. xxvii. 4. I (Judas) have sinned, in that I have betray- 
ed the innocent blood, ver. 23, And the governor said, Why, what 
evil hath he done ? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him 
fee crucified 

i Acts ii. 23, Je?us of Nazareth being delivered by the deter- 
minate counsel and foreknowledge of God, yet have taken, and by 
wicked hands have crucified and slain. Chap. iv. 27, For of a truth 
the holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod and 
Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel were 
gathered together, &c. 

k Gal. ii. 20, I am crucified with Christ. 

/ Gal. iii. 13, Christ hath redeemed U3 from the curse of the 
law, being made a curse for us : for it 'is written, Cursed is every 
one that hangeth on a tree. 

m Col. iii. 1. If ye then be risen with Christ &c. Heb. vi. 20. 
Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, &c. 

n Eph, ii. 5, 6, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quicken- 



Part III. THE BELIEVER'S RIDD1.E. 1*9" 

In divers distant orbs I move, 
Inthrall'd below, inthron'd above, 

SECT. IL— The mystery of the saint's life, state, and 
frame, 

1%/|" Y life's a pleasure a and a pain b \ 
-^-*- A real loss, a real gain c ; 
A glorious paradise of joys d y 
A grievous prison of annoys e. 

I daily joy, and daily mourn/ 7 , 
Yet daily wait the tide's return g : 
Then sorrow deep my spirit chears, 
I'm joyful in a flood of tears //. 

ed us together with Christ, and hath raised us up together, and 
made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. 

a Prov. iii. 17, Her ways are ways of pleasantnessj and all her 
paths are peace. 

b Psal. cxx, 7, Wo is me, that I sojourn in Mesech, that i dwell 
in the tents of Kedar. 

c Phil. iii. 7, But what things.were gain to me, those I counted 
loss for Christ Chap. i. 21, — 24. For to me to live is Christ, and 
to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my la- 
bour ; yet what I shall choose \ wot not ; for I am in a strait betwixt 
two,. having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ, which is far 
better : nevertheless, to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. 

d 1 Ptt. i, 8, Whom having not seen, ye love ; in whom, though 
now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeak- 
able^ and full of gloty. 

e Psalm cxlii. 7. Bring-my soul oat of prison, >hat I may praise 
thy name. 

f\ Pet. i. 6. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a sea- 
son, (if need be) ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations. 
2 Cor. i. 4. Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may 
be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort' 
wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. Job xxx. 28, 
I went mourning without the s«d, &c. 

g Isa. viii. 17, And I will wait upon the Lord that hideth his 
face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him. 

h Zech. xii. 10, And I will pour upon the house of David, and 
upon'the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and supplica- 
tion ; and they shall look upon him whom they have pierced, 2nd 
they shall mourn for him, as one mourn eth for his only son, and . 
shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his first- 
N 3 



150 GOSPEL sonnets.- Part III. 

Good cause I have still to be sad i, 
Good reason always to be glad k. 
Hence still my joys with sorrows meet /, 
And still my tears are bitter sweet m. 

I'm cross'd, and yet have all my will n \ 
I'm alway's empty, always full o ; 
I hunger now, and thirst no more p> 
Yet do more eager than before q. 

born. Ezek. xxxvi. 31, 32, Then shall ye remember your own 
evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall lothe 
yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities, and for your abo- 
minations. Net for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord, God, be it 
known unto you: be ashamed and confounded for your own way?, 
O house of Israel. Hos. xii. 3,4. He ('Jacob) took his brother by 
the heel in the womb, and by his strength he had power with God, 
yea, he had power over the angel, and prevailed : he wept and 
made supplication unto him : he found him in Bethel, and there he 
spake with us. Luke vii. 38, And (a woman which was a sinner^ 
stood at his feet behind him weeping, and begin to wash his feet 
with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kiss- 
ed hjs feet, and anointed them with the ointment. John xx. 15, 
16, Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou ? whom seek- 
esjt thou ? she, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, 
Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him 
and I will take him away. Jesus saifh unto her, Mary ; she turned 
Herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni, which is to say, Master. 
ver. 20. Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord. 

i Rom. vii, $4, Q wretched man that I am, who shall deliver 
me from the body of this death 1 

k 2 Cor. ii. 14, Thanks be unto God, which always causeth us 
to triumph in Christ. 

/ 2 Cor. vi. 20, — As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing. 

m Zech. xii, 10, See letter h. Psal. exxvi. 5, They that sow- 
in tears, shall reap in joy. Isa. lxi. 2, 3, The Lord hath sent me 
to comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in 
Zion, to give unto them, beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourn- 
ing, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, &c. Mat. 
v. 4, Blessed are they that mourn : for they shall be comforted, j 

n Luke xxii. 42, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup 
from me : nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done. Acts 
xxi. 14, And when he (Paul) would not be persuaded, we ceased, 
saying^The will of the Lord be done. 

o 2 Cor. vi. 10. As having nothing, and yet possessing all things. 

p John vi. 35 t And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life, 
he that cometh to me shall never hunger ; and he that believeth 
on me shall never thirst. 

q Psalm xlii. 1, 2, As the hart panteth after the water- brooks, 



Part III. THE believer's riddle. 151 

With meat and drink indeed Pm blest r, 
Yet feed on hunger, drink on thirst^. 
My hunger brings a plenteous store s. 
My plenty makes me hunger more i. 

Strange is the place of my abode, 
I dwell at home, I dwell abroad u. 



so panteth my soul after thee, Q God. My soul thirsteth for God, 
for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God? 
and lxiii. I, O God, thou art my God, early will I seek thee: my 
soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty 
land, where no water is. And lxxiii. 25, Whom have I in heaven 
but thee ? and there is none upon earth that 1 desire besides thee. 
Isa. xxvi. 8, 9; Yea in the way of thy judgments, O Lord, have we 
waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to ihy name, and to the 
remembrance of thee. With my soul have 1 desired thee in the 
night, yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early. 

r John vi. 35, For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is 
drink indeed. 

/Job xxix. 2, 34, Oh that I were as in months past, as in the 
days wr>en God preserved me, when his candle shined upon my 
head, and when by his light I walked through darkness; as I was 
in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was upon my ta- 
bernacle. Psal. Ixxvii. 10, 11, 12,1 will remember the years of 
the right hand of the Most High, I will remember the works of 
the Lord ; surely I will remember thy wonders of old. I will me- 
ditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings. Song v. 8. 
I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my Beloved, that 
ye tell him th3t I am sick of love. Chap. viii. 1. O that thou wert 
as my brother that sucked the breasts of my mother ! when I should 
find thee without, I would kiss thee, yea, I should not be despised, 

s Matth. ver, 6, Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst 
after righteousness, for they shall be filled, 

t 2 Cor. v. 2. For in this we groan earnestly, desiring to be 
clothed upon with our house which is from heaven. Phil. i. 23. 
For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart and to 
be with Christ; which is far better, &c. Song ii. 3, 4, 5. 1 sat 
down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet 
unto my taste. He brought me to the banqueting-house, and his 
banner over me was love. Stay me with flagons, comfort me with 
apples : for I am sick of love. 

u Job iv. 19-, How much less them that dwell in houses of clay, 
whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the 
moth? Psalm xc. 1. Lord, thou hast been our dwelling-place in 
all generations, and xci. 1. He that dwelleth in the secret place of 
the Most High, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty, 
l John iv. 16, God is love; and he that dwelled in love, dwel- 
leth in God, and God in him. 



152 GOSP-EL SOKNETSc Part III. 

I am not where all men may see, 
But where I never yet could be v. 

I'm full of hell <w 9 yet full of heav'n x - 9 
I'm still upright^', yet still unev'n z $ 
Imperfect a, yet a perfect saint b\. 
I'm ever poor c, yet never want d. 

No mortal eye sees God and lives e ; 
Yet sight of him my soul revives/; 
I live best when I see most bright g \ 
Yet live by faith, and not by sight h. 

v Isa, xxxiii, 16. He shall dwell on high^ his place of defence 
shall be the munition of rocks, Eph. ii. 6, And h^th raised us up 
together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ 
Jesus. 

iv Eccl. ix. 13. The heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and 
madness is in their heart while they lire, and after thatthey go to 
the dead. 

* Eph, iii. 19. And to know the love of Christ, which passeth 
knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God, 

y Psalm xviii, 23. I was also upright before him ; and I kept 
iryself from mine iniquity. 

s& Ezek, xiii, 25. Hear now, O. house of Israel, are not your 
ways unequal ? 

a Rev, iii, 2. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which re- 
main, that are ready to die ; for I have not found thy works per- 
fect before God. 

b 1 Cor, ii, 6. Howbeit w r e speak wisdom among them that are 
perfect, &c, 

c Psalm xl, 17. But I am poor and needy, yet the Lord thinketh 
upon me, 

d Psalm xxiii, 1. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want, And 
xxxiv, 10, The lions young do lack and do suffer hunger ; but they 
that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing. 

e Exod, 33, 20. And he said, Thou canst not see my face ; for 
there shall no man see me, and live. 

f John vi. 40. And this is the will of him that sent me, that 
every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have 
everlasting life, Chap, xx, 30. Then were the disciples glad when 
they saw the Lord, 

g 2 Cor, iii, 18. But we all with open face beholding as in a 
glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image? 
from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. Chap, iv, 
6, For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, 
hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of 
the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 

b Gal. ii, 20. I am crucified with Christ j nevertheless I live, yet 



Part III. THE believer's riddle. 153 

I'm liberal i, yet have nought to spare k ; 
Most richly cloth'd /, yet stript and bare m. 
My stock is risen by my fall n ; 
For, having nothing, I have all o. 

I'm sinful j? } yet I have no sin q ; 
All spotted o'er r, yet wholly clean f. 
Blackness and beauty both I share ; 
A hellish black, a heavenly fair s» 

not I, but Christ liveth in me ; and the life which I now live in the 
flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave 
himself for me. 2 Cor. v. 7, For we walk by faith, not by sight. 

i Psalm xxvii, 21, The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again ; 
but the righteous showeth mercy, and giveth. 

k Zeph, iii, 12, I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted 
and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the Lord. 

/ Isa, lxi r 10. I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be 
joyful in my God, for he hath clothed me with the garments of sal- 
vation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a 
bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorn- 
eth herself with her jewels, 

m Ezek, xvi, 7. I have caused thee to multiply as the bud of the 
field, and thou hast increased and waxen great, and thou art come 
to excellent ornaments ; thy breasts are fashioned, and thine hair is 
grown, whereas thou wast naked and bare, Rev, iii, 17. Because 
thou sayest, 1 am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of 
nothing ; and knswest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, 
and poor, and blind, and naked. 

?i Rom, viii, 28, And we know that all things work together for 
good to them that love God, to them who are the called accord- 
ing to his purpose. 

o 2 Cor, vi, 10,-as having nothing, and yet possessing all things. 

p Rom, vii, 14, For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am 
carnal, sold under sin. ver, 24, O wretched man that 1 am, who 
shall deliver me from the body of this death ? 

q Numb, xxiii, 21, He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither 
hath he seen perverseness in Israel, i John iii, 9, Whosoever is born 
of God, doth not commit sin ; for his seed remairreth in him ; and 
he cannot sin, because he is born of God, 

r Psalm xiv, 3. They are all gone aside, they are altogether be- 
come filthy : there is none that doth good, no not one. 

f Song iv, 7, Thou art fair, my love, there is no spot in thee. 

s Song i. 5, I am black but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusa- 
lem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon, ver. 15, 
Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair, thou has: 
doves' eyes. 



154? GOSPEL sonnets. Part IIL 

They're of the dev'l who sin amain t : 
But I'm of God, yet sin retain u : 
This traitor vile the throne assumes v } 
Prevails, yet never overcomes w. 

I'm without guile, an Isra'lite x ; 
Yet like a guileful hypocrite y \ 
Maintaining truth in th' inward part z> 
With falsehood rooted in my heart a. 

Two masters sure, I cannot serve l 9 
But must from one regardless swerve ? 
Yet self is for my master known c y 
And Jesus is my Lord alone d> 

t\ John iii. 8, He that committeth sin, is of the devil , for the 
devil sinneth from the beginning. 

u 1 John i. 8, If we say that we have no sin, we deceive our- 
selves, and the truth is not in us. 

i) Rom. vii. 23, But I see another law in my members, warring 
against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the 
law ©f sin which is in my members. 

iv Psal. lxv. 3, Iniquities prevail against me : as for our trans* 
gressions, thou shalt purge them away, Rom, vi. 14, For sin shall 
not have dominion over you; for ye are not under the law, but 
under grace. 

* John i. 42, Jesus saw Nathaniel coming to him, and sahh of 
fcira, Behold an Israelite in whom is no. guile. Psalm xxxii. 2, 
Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and 
in whose spirit there is no guile. 

y Psalm xix. 12, Who can understand his errors ? cleanse thou 
me from secret faults. 
, % Psalm li, 6, Behold thou desirest truth- in the inward parts ; 
and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. 

a Matth. xv. 19. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, 
murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false- witness, blasphemies. 

b Matth. vi. 24, No man can serve two masters : for either he 
will hate the one, and love the other ; or else he will hold to the 
one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. 

c Hos. x. 1, Israel is an empty vine, he bringeth forth fruit un- 
to himself: according to the multitude of his fruit, he hath increas- 
ed the altars; accerding to the good«ess of his land, they have 
made goodly images. Matth. xvi. 24, Then said Jesus unto his 
disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and 
take up his cross, and follow me. 

d Isa. xxvi. IS, O Lord our God, other lords beside thee. have 
had dominion over us; but by thee only will we make mention of 
thy name. John xx. 28, And Thomas answered and said unto 
him, My Lord, and my God. 



Part. III. THE BELIEVER'S RIDDLE. 155 

I seek myself incessantly ^ 
Yet daily do myself deny^l 
To me 'tis lawful evermore 
Myself to love and to abhor g. 

In this vain world I live, yet see 
I'm dead to it and it to me //. 
My joy is» endless i y yet at best 
Does hardly for a moment last k. 

e James iv. 3, Ye ask and receive not, because ye ask amiss, 
that ye may consume it upon your lusts, Jer. xlv. 2, 5, Thus saith 
the Lord the God of Israel unto thee, O Baruch, and seekest thou 
great things for thyself? Seek them not ; for behold I will bring 
evil upon all flesh, saith the Lord ; but thy life will 1 -give unto 
thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest. 

/Matth. xvi. 24, See letter c* 

g Lev. xix. 18, Thousiiait not avenge- nor bear any grudge a- 
gainst the children of thy people, but thou shak love thy neigh- 
bour as thyself---I am the Lord. Eph. v. 29, Fer no man ever yet 
hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the 
Lord the church. John xii. 25, He that loveth his life shall lo*e 
it : and he that loseth his life in this world, shall keep it unto life 
eternal. Job xlii. 6, Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust 
and ashes. 

h Col. iii. 3, For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in 
God. Gal. vi. 14, But God forbid that I should glory, save in the 
cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified 
unto me, and I unto the world. 

i John xvi. 22, And ye now therefore have sorrow; but I will 
see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man 
taketh from you. 2 Thess. ii. r€, Now our Lord Jesus Christ 
himself, and God the Father, which hath loved us, and hath 
given us everlasting consolation, and good hope through grace, 
&c. 

k Psalm xxx. 7, Lord, by thy favour thou hast made my moun- 
tain to stand strong ; thou didst hide thy face, and I 'was trou- 
bled. Isa. xlix. 13, 14, Sing, O heavens, and be joyful, O earth; 
and break forth into singing, O mountains : for the Lord hath com- 
forted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted. But 
Zion said, The Lord hath- forsaken me, and my Lord hath for- 
gotten me. 



156 GOSPEL sonnets. Part III. 

SECT. III. — Mysteries about the saints' work and war- 
fare, their sin's, sorrows, and joys. 

npHE work is great I'm called unto a, 
-*- Yet nothing's left for me to do b : 
Hence for my work Heav'n has prepared 
No wages c, yet a great reward d. 

To works, but not to working dead e : 
From sin, but not from sinning freed^, 
I clear myself from no offence g, 
Yet wash mine hands in innocence h, 

a Phil. ii. 12, Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, 
not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence; 
work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 

b Phil. ii. 13, For it is God which worketh in you, both to will 
and to do of his good pleasure. Lev. xx. 7, 8, Sanctify yourselves 
therefore, and be ye holy ; for I am the Lord your God. And ye 
shall keep my statutes, and do them : I am the Lord which sanc- 
tify you. 

c Rom. vi. 23, For the wages of sin is death : but the gift of 
God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Chap. xi. 6, 
And if by grace, then is it no more of works ; otherwise grace is 
no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace; 
otherwise work is no more work. 

d Psalm xix. 1 1 , Moreover, by them (the judgments of the Lord) 
is thy servant warned ; and in keeping of them there is a great re- 
ward. Psalm lviii. 11, Verily there is a reward for the righteous; 
verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth. 

e Rom, vii, 4, Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead 
to the law by the body of Christ, that ye should be married to a- 
nother, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should 
bring forth fruit unto God. Gal. ii. 19, For I through the law am 
dead to the law, that 1 might live unto God. 

fl John i. 8, If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, 
and the truth is not in us. Chap. iii. 9. Whosoever is born of God, 
doth not commit sin, for his seed remaineth in him ; and he cannot 
sin, because he is born of God. 

g Rom* vii. 18, For I know, that in me (that is, in my flesh,) 
dwelleth no good thing; for to will is present with me; but how 
to perform that which is good, I find not, 

b Psalm xxvL 6, 1 will wash mine hands in innocence ; so will 
1 compass thine altar, O Lord. 



Part IH. THE believer's RIDDLE. 157 

My Father's anger burns like fire i $ 
Without a spark of furious ire k : 
Though still my sins displeasing be /, 
Yet still I know he's pleas'd with me tn. 

Triumphing is my constant trade «, 
Tho yet am oft a captive led o. 
My bloody war does never cease p 9 
Yet I maintain a stable peace q. 

My foes assaulting conquer me, 
Yet ne'er obtain the victory r ; 
For all my battles, lost or won, 
Were gain'd before they were begun/. 

i 1 Kings xi. 9. And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because 
his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had ap- 
peared unto him twice. 

k Isa. xxvii. 4. Fury is not in me. Chap. liv. 9, 10, For this is 
as the waters of Noah unto me : for as I have sworn that the wa- 
ters of Noah should no more go over the earth : so have I sworn 
that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee. For the 
mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed ; but my kind- 
ness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my 
peace be removed, saith the Lord, that hath mercy on thee. 

/ Hab, i. 13. Thou art of purer eyes than to^ behold evil, and 
canst not look on iniquity. Jer. xliv. 4. Howbeit, I sent unto you 
all my servants the prophets, rising early, and sending them, say- 
ing, O do not this abominable thing that I hate. 

m Matth. iii, 17. And lo, a voice from heaven, saying, This 
is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Rom. v. 10. When 
we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his 
Son. 

11 2 Cor. ii. 14. Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth 
us to triumph in Christ. 

o Rom. vii, 23. But I see another law in my members, warring 
against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the 
law of sin, which is in my members. 

p Rom. vii. 2S. See letter e. 1 Tim. vi. 12. Fight the good 
fight of faith, &c. Gal. v, 17. For the flesh lusteth against the 
Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh ; and these are contrary the 
one to the other; so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 
q R*m. v. 1. Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace 
with God, thro' our Lord Jesus Christ. Isa. liv 10, See letter k. 

r Rom. vii. 23. See letter o. Chap. viii. 37. Nay, in all those 
things we are more than conquerors, through him that loved us. 
f\ Cor. xv. 57. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the vic- 
tory, through our ^Lord Jesus Christ. 

o 



158 GOSPEL sonnets. Part III. 

I'm still at ease,, and still opprest ; 
Have constant trouble, constant rest j ; 
Both clear and cloudy /, free and bound u - 
Both dead and living v, lost and found iu. 

She for my good does work and win x ; 
Yet 'tis not good for me to sin g. 
My pleasure issues from my pain z ; 
My losses still increase my gain a. 

s 2 Cor. iv. 8. We are troubled on every, side, yet not distressed ; 
we are perplexed, but not in despair. John xvi. 33. These things 
have I spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the 
world ye shall have tribulation ; but be of good cheer, I have over- 
come the world. Heb. iv. 3. For we which have believed, do en- 
ter into rest. 

t Zech* xiv. 6,7. And it shall come to pass in that day, that 
the light shall not be clear, nor dark. But it shall be one day, 
which shall be known to the Lord, not day nor night; but it 
shall come to pass, that at evening-time it shall be light. Mic. 
vii. 8. Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy : when I fall, I 
shall arise ; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be light unto 
me, 

u John viii. 36. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall 
be free indeed. Acts xx. 23. The Holy Ghost vvitnesseth in every 
city, saying, that bonds and afflictions abide me. 

<v 2 Cor. vi. 9 — as dying, and behold we live. Col. iii. 3. For ye 
are dead, and our life is hid with Christ in God. 

<iv Matth. xviii. 11. For the Son o*F man is come to save that 
which was lost. Psalm cxix. 176. I have gone astray like a lost 
sheep, seek thy servant. Phil. iii. 9. And be found in him, not 
having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that 
which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of 
God by faith. 

x Rom. viii. <2§. And we know that all things work together 
for good, to them that love God, to them who are the called ac- 
cording to his purpose. Chap. xi. 11. I say then, Have they stum- 
bled, that they should fall ? God forbid ; but rather through their 
fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to 
jealousy. 

y Psalm lxxxix. 31, 32. If they break my statutes, and keep not 
my commandments, then will I visit their transgressions with the 
rod, and their iniquity with stripes. 

% Psalm cxix. 67. Before I was afflicted, I went astray : but now 
have I kept thy word. ver. 71. It is good for me that I have been 
afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes. James i, 2. My breth- 
ren, count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations, 

a Matth. x. 39. He that loseth his life for my sake, shall find it. 
Mark x. 29, 30. And Jesus answered and said. Verily I say unto 
you, There is. no man that left house, or brethren, or sisters, or fa- 



Part III. THE BELIEVER'S riddle. 159 

Pm heal'd ev'n when my plagues abound h 9 
Cover'd with dust ev'n when I'm crown'd c : 
As low as death when living high d s 
Nor shall I live, yet cannot die e. 

For all my sins my heart is sad, 
Since God's dishonour'd/; yet I'm glad, 
Though once I was a slave to sin g 9 
Since God does thereby honour win h. 

ther, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands for my sake and the 
gospel's, but he shall receive an hundred fold now in this time, 
houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and 
lands, with persecutions,. and in the world to come, eternal life. 

b Rom. vii. 24, 26. O wretched man that I am, who shall deli- 
ver me from the body of this death! I thank God, through. Jesus 
Christ our Lord. 

c viz. with mercy t Job xlii. 5,-6.-1 have heard of thee by the 
hearing of the ear : but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I 
abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes. Ezek. xvi. 63. That 
thou mayest remember and be confounded, and never open thy 
mouth any more because of thy shame, when I am pacified toward 
thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord God. 

d 2 Cor. vi. 9— as dying, and behold we live. 

e Heb. ix. 27. It is appointed unto men once to die. John v. 
24. Verily, verily I say unto you, He that heareth my word and 
believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not 
come into condemnation ; b*ut is passed from death unto life. Chap. 
vi. 40. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one 
which seeth the Son, andljelieveth on him, may have everlasting 
life. ver. 50. 51. This is the bread which cometh down from hea- 
ven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread 
which came^i'own from heaven ; if any man eat of this bread he 
shall live for ever ; and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which 
I will give for the life of the world. 

/Psalm li. 4. Against thee, thee only have I sinned, and done 
this evil in thy sight. 

g Rom. vi. 17. But God be thanked, that ye were the servants 
of sin ; but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine 
which was delivered unto you. 

h Isa. xli. 24. Sing, O ye heavens ; for the Lord hath done it : 
Shout, ye lower parts of the earth; break forth into singing ye 
mountains, O forests, and every tree therein ; for the Lord hath 
redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel. Eph. i. 6. To the 
praise of the glory ©f his grace, ver, 12. That we should be to the 
praise of his glory. 



160 gospel sonnets. Part III. 

My sins are ever in his eye i 9 
Yet he beholds no sin in me k ; 
His mind, that keeps them all in store, 
Will yet remember them no more /. 

Because my sins are great, I feel 
Great fears of heavy wrath m ; yet still 
For mercy seek, for pardon wait, 
Because my sins are very great n* 

I hope, when plung'd into despair 0, 
I tremble when I have no fear p. 

i Rev- iii. ]. I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou 
iivest, and art dead ver. 15. I know thy works, that thou art 
neither cold nor hot. 

k Numb, xxiii. 21. He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, nei- 
ther hath he seen perverseness in Israel, Song iv. 7. Thou art all 
fair, my love, there is no spot in thee. Ezek. xvi, 14. And thy 
renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty ; for it was 
perfect through my comeliness which I had put iipon thee, saith 
the Lord God. 

I Isa. xiiii. 25. I, even I am he that blotteth out thy transgres- 
sions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. Jer. 
xxxi. 34. I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their 
sins no more. Heb. viii. 12. I will be merciful to their unrighteous- 
ness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. 

m Ezra ix, 13, 14 t And after all that is come upon us for our 
evil deeds, and for our great tresspas, seeing that thou our God hast 
punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and hast given us sucli 
delrverence as this, should we again break thy commandments, and 
join in affinity with the people of these abominations ? would not 
thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us, so that there 
should be no remnant escaping? Psa. xxxviii. 2. O Lord, rebuke 
me not in thy wrath, neither chasten mein thy hot displeasure. 

?i Psalm x.tv. 11. For thy name's sake, O Lord, pardon mine 
iniquity, for it is great. Jer. xiv. 7, O Lord, though our iniqui- 
ties testify against us, do thou it for thy name's sake ; for our 
br-.ckslidings are many, we have sinned against thee. 

o Rom. iv. 18. Who (Abraham^ against hope believed in hope, 
*2 Cor. i. 8, 9, For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of 
our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of 
measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life : 
but we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not 
trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead. 

p Phi), ii. 12. Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obey- 
ed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence ; 
work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Luke i. 74. 
That be would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the 
hands of our enemies, mlg-ht serve him without fear. 



Part II I. THE BELIEVER'S RIDDLE. l6l 

Pardons dispel my griefs and fears q, 
And yet dissolves my heart in tears r, 

SECT IV. — Mysteries in Faith's extractions > way and 
walk y prayers and answers > heights and depths, fear 
and love. 

'X&f ITH : wasps and bees, my busy bill 
* * Sucks ill from good, and good from ill a \ 
Humility makes my pride to grow, 
And pride aspiring lays me low b. 

q Matth. ix. 2. Jesus said unto the -sick of the palsy. Son, be of 
good cheer, thy sins be forgiven thee. 

r Ezek. xxxvi. 25,, 26. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon 
you, and ye shall be clean ; from all your filthiness, and from all 
your idols will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, 
and a new spirit will I put within you ; and I will take away the 
stony heart out of your flesh, and 1 will give you an heart of flesh, 
a>. 31. Then shall ye. remember your own evil ways, and your do- 
ings that were not good, and shall lothe yourselves- in your own 
sight for your own iniquities, and for your abominations. Chap, 
xvi. 63. That thou mayest remember and be confounded, and never 
open thy mouth any. more, because of thy shame, when I am pa- 
cified toward thee for all that thou hast done, sanh the Lord 
God. 

a Rom. ii. 4. Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness, and 
forbearance, and long-suffering : not knowing that the goodness of 
God leadeth thee to repentance ? Chap. vi. \, 2. What shall we say 
then ? shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound ? God for- 
bid ; how shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein ? 
«u. 15. What then ? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, 
but under grace.? God fcrbid. Chap. viii. 28. And we know that 
all things work together for good, to them that love God, to them 
who are the called according to his purpose. Phil. i. 12 r But I 
would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which hap. 
pened unto me, have fallen out unto the furtherance of the gospel. 
Psalm cxix. 71. It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that 
I might learn thy statutes. 

b 2 Cor. xii. 7. And lest I should be exalted above measure, thro r 
the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in 
the flesh, the messenger of Satan, to buffet me, lest I should be ex- 
alted above measure. Prov. xxix. 23. N A man's pride shall bring 
him low ; but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit. 2 Chron, 
xxxii. 26*. Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his hearr 3 
(both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem,) so that the wrath of.; 
the Lord came not upon them in the days of Hezekiah, 
OS 



i62 gospel sonnets. Part II !• 

My standing does my fall procure r, 
My falling makes me stand more sure d. 
My poison does my physic prove e % 
My enmity provokes my love^/*. 

My poverty infers my wealth g> 
My sickness issues in my health // : 
My hardness tends to make me soft i f 
And killing things do cure me oft k. 

"While high attainments cast me down, 
My deep abasements raise me soon / : 

c Psal. xxx. 6. 7. And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be 
moved. Lord, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to 
stand strong ; thou didst hide thy face, and T was troubled, 

d Prov. xxiv, 16. For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth 
up again. Psalm xxxvii. 24, Though he fall, he shall not be utter- 
ly cast down; for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand. 

e 2 Cor. xii. 7, 8. And lest I should be exalted above measure, 
'through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me 
a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan, to buffet me, lest I 
should be exalted above measure. For this thing I basought the 
Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. Isa. xxvii. 8, 9. In 
measure when it shooteth forth, thou wilt debate with it ; he stay- 
eth his rough-wind in the day of his east-wind. By this, there- 
fore, shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged, and this is all the fruit 
to take away his sin. 

/Gal. v. 27. The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit 
against the flesh. <v. 24. And tbey that are Christ's have crucified 
the flesh, with the affections and lusts. 

g Rev. ii. 9. I know thy poverty, but thou art rich. 2 Cor. vi. 
10. — as having nothing, and yet possessing all things. 

h Matth. ix. 12. They that be whole need not a physician, but 
they that are sick. Isa. lvii. 17, 18. For the iniquity of his cove- 
tousness was I wroth, and smote him: I hid me and was wroth, 
and he went on frowardly'in the way of his heart. 1 have seen his 
ways, and will heal him : I will lead him also, and restore comforts 
unto him, and to his mourners* 

i Isa. lxiii. 17. O Lord, why hast thou made us err from thy 
ways ? and hardened our hearts from thy fear ? Return, for thy 
servant's sake, the tribes of thine inheritance. 

k 2 Cor. i. 9. But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, 
that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God, which raiseth 
the dead. Hgs. v. 15, 1 will go and return to my place, till they 
acknowledge their offence, and seek my face ; in their afliiction 
they will seek me early. Chap. vi. 1. Come and let us return unto 
the Lord; for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, 
and he will bind us up. 

1 1 Pet. v. 6. Be^subject one to another, and be clothed with hu* 



Part III. the believer's riddle. 163 

My best things oft have evil brood m 9 
My worst things work the greatest good n. 

My inward foes that me alarm, 
Breed me much hurt, yet little harm o. 
I get no good by them *, yet see 
To my chief good they cause me flee p. 

They reach to me a deadly stroke q y 
Yet send me to a living rock r. 
They make me long for Canaan's banks /, 
Yet sure I owe them little thanks. 

mility ; for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the hum- 
ble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, 
that he may exalt you in due time. Psalm cxvi. 6. I was brought 
low, and he helped me. 

m Psalm xxx. 6, 7. And in my prosperity I said, I shall never 
be moved. Lord, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to 
stand strong : thou didst hide thy face, and 1 was troubled. Deut. 
xxxii. 14, 15. Butter of kine, and milk of sheep, with fat of lambs 
and rams of the breed of Bashan, and goats, with the fat of kidneys, 
of wheat ; and thou didst drink the pure blood of the grape. But 
Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked ; thou art waxen fat, thou art 
grown thick, thou art covered with fatness ; then he forsook the 
God which made him, and lightly esteemed the rock of his salva- 
tion. Psalm cvi. 7. Our fathers understood not the wonders in 
Egypt, they remembered not the multitude of thy mercies, but 
provoked him at the sea, even at the Red-sea. 

n Psalm xx. 11. Thou hast turned for me my mourning into 
dancing : thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with glad- 
ness. Rom. viii. 28, See letter #. 

o Jer. x. 19. Wo is me for my hurt, my wound is grievous : but 
I said. Truly this is a grief, and I must bear it. 1 Pet iii. 13. 
And who is he that will harm you, if ye be^followers of that which 
is good ? 

* */«&. in themselves, but much evil. 1 Pet. ii. 11. Dearly belov- 
ed, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly 
lusts, which war against the soul. James i. 14, 15. But every man 
is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed. 
Then when lost hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin ; and sin, 
when it is finished, bringeth forth death. 

p Psalm cxliii. 9, Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies: I 
flee unto thee to hide me. 

q Rom. viii. 13. If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die. 

r Psalm xviii. 46, 47. The Lord liveth, and blessed be my rock ; 
and let the God of my salvation be exalted, It is God that aven- 
geth met and subdueth the people under me. 

j Psalm lv. 6. And I said, O that 1 had wings like a dove! for 



16i GOSPEL SONNETS* Fart II I. 

I travel t, yet stand firm and fast u y 
I run, tn, but yet I make no haste w. 
I take away both old and new x, 
Within my sight y> yet out of view z. 

My way directs me in the way a> 
And will not suffer me to stray b ; 
Though high and out of sight it be, 
I'm in the way, the way's in me **. 

then would I fly away and be at rest. And cxx. 5. Wo is me, that 
I sojourn in Mesech, that I dwell m tents of Kedar. Rom. viii. 20. 
22, 23. For he (the creature) was made subject to vanity, not will- 
ingly, but by reason of him.who hath subjected the same in hope ; 
because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage 
of corruption, into the glorious liberty ©f the children of God. 
For we know the whole creation groaneth, and truvailleth in pain, 
together until now : and not only they, but ourselves also, which 
have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within 
ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our 
body. 

t Heb. xi. 13— and confessed that they were strangers and pil- 
grims on the earth. 

u 1 Gor. xvi. 13. Watch ye, stand fast in the faith ; quit you like 
men, be strong. 

*v Heb. xii. 1. Let us run with patience the race that is set be- 
fore us. 

iv Isa. xx viii. 16, He tbat believeth-, shall not make haste. 

x Jer. vi. 16. Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways and see-, 
and ask ye for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk 
therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. Heb. x. 19, 20. Hav- 
ing, therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the 
blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which be hath conse- 
crated for us, through the vail, that is to say, his flesh. 

y 1 Cor. xiii. 12. For we now see through a glass, darkly; but 
then face to face: now 1 know in part; but then shall I know, 
even as I also am known. 

% John xvi. lO. I go to my Father, and ye see me no more. 

a John xiv. 6.. Jesus saith unto him, I am the way: — no man 
cometh unto the Father, but by me. 

b Isa. xiii. 16* And I will bring the blind by a way that, they 
know not; I will lead them in paths thnt they have not known ; 
1 will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight, 
These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them. Chap. v. 
4. Behold, I have given him to be a leader and commander to the 
people. 

* Isa. xxxv. 8. And an high-way shall be there, and a way, and 
it shall be called the way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass 
over it, but it shall be for those \ the wayfaring mtn, though ioo\s s 



Part III. the believer's riddle. 16.5 

'Tis straight d, yet full of heights and depths e \ 
I kept the way jf, the way me keeps g. 
And being that to which I tend, 
My very way's my journey's end //. 

When I'm in company I groan, 
Because I then am most alone i ; 
Yet in my closest secrecy, 
I'm joyful in my company k. 

shall not err therein. John xv. 14. Abide in me, and I in you, 
Chap. xvii. 23. I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made 
perfect in one, and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, 
and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. v. 26, And I have de- 
clared unto them thy name, and will declare it; -that the love 
wherewith thou hast loved me, may be in them, and I in them. 

d Matth. iii. 3. This is he that was spoken of by the prophet 
Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare 
ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 

e Isa. xl. 3, 4. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, 
Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desart a high- 
way for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every moun- 
tain and hill be made low : and the crooked shall be made straight, 
and the rough places plain. Chap. xlii. 16, See letter b. Psah 
Jxxvii. 13. Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary. <u. 19. Thy way- 
is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy foot-steps 
are not known. 

f Psalm xxxvii. 34. Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he 
shall exalt thee to inherit the land. 

g Psalm cxxi. 3, 4. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved : he 
that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Is- 
rael, shall neither slumber nor sleep. 

h Heb. xii. 22, 23, 24. But ye are come unto mount Sion, and 
unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to 
an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and 
church of the first-born, which are written in heaven, and to God 
the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to 
Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprink- 
ling, that speaketh better things than the blood of Abel. 1 Thess. 
iv. 17. Then we which are alive and remain, shall be caught up 
together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air ; and 
so shall we ever be with the Lord. 

i Song i. 3. Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou 
feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon ; for why 
should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy compa- 
nions ? 

k Song vii. 11, 12. Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the 
field, let us lodge in the villages. Let us^get up early to the vine- 



156 GOSPEL SONNETS. Part I If. 

I'm heard afar /, without a noise ; 
I cry without a lifted voice m. 
Still moving in devotion's sphere n> 
Yet seldom steady persevere o. 

Pm heard when answer'd soon or late^? j 
And heard when I no answer get q ; 
Yea, kindly answer'd, when refus'd r, 
And friendly treat, when harshly us'dy. 

yards, let us see if the vines flourish, whether the tender grapes 
appear, and the pomegranates bud forth ; for there will I give 
thee my loves. 

/ Psalm xx. 6. Now know I, that the Lord saveth his anointed; 
he will hear him from his hely heaven, with the saving strength 
of his right hand. 

jgFjK 1 Sam. i. 13. 14, 15. Now Hannah, she spake in her heart, 
only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard ; therefore £H 
thought she had been drunken. And Eli said unto her, How long 
wilt thou be drunken ? put away thy wine from thee. And Han- 
nah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful 
spirit; I have drunken neither wine nor strong drink, but have 
poured out my soul before the Lord. 

n 1 Thess. v. 13, Pray without ceasing. 

o Hos. vi. 4. O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee ? O Judah, 
what shall I do unto thee ? for your goodness is as a morning- 
cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away. 

p Isa. xiix. 8. Thus saith the Lord, In an acceptable time have 
I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee. 

q Matth. xxvi. 39. And Jesus went a little further, and fell on 
bis face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this 
cup pass from me ; nevertheless, not as I will, bet as thou wilt. 

r Psalm xxii. 1, 2, 3. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken 
me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of 
my roaring? O my God, I cry in the day-time, but thou hearest 
not ; and in the night season, and am not silent. But thou art ho- 
ly, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. 

/ Heb. xii. 5 — 10, And ye have forgotten the exhortation 
which speaketh unto you as children, My son, despise not thou the 
chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him. 
For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every 
son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth 
with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chas- 
teneth not ? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are 
partakers, then are ye. bastards and not sons. Furthermore, we 
have had fathers of our flesh, which corrected us, and we gave 
them reverence ; shall we not much rather be in subjection to the 



Part IIL THE believer's riddle. 167 

My fervent pray'rs ne'er did prevail t, 
Nor e'er of prevalency fail /. 
I wrestle till my strength be spent u, 
Yet yield when strong recruits are sent «r. 

I languish for my Husband's charms w, 
Yet faint away when in his arms x. 
My sweetest health doth sickness prove ; . 
When love me heals, I'm sick of love y % 

I am most merry when I'm sad % ; 
Most full of sorrow when I'm glad a ; 

Father of spirits, and live ? For they verily for a few days chasten- 
ed us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we 
might be- pai takers of his holiness. 

j Dan. ix. 8, 19. O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open 
thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called 
by thy name ; for we do not present our supplications before thee 
for our righteousness, but for thy great mercies. O Lord, hear ; 
O Lord, forgive ; O Lord, hearken and do ; defer not for thine own 
sake, O my God; for thy city and thy people -are called by thy 
name. 

/ James v. 16. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man 
availeth much. 

u Gen. xxxii. 24, 25. And Jacob was left alone; and there 
wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. 

<v Psalm cxxxviii. 3. In the day when I cried, thou answeredst 
me; and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul. Gen. xvlik 
32, 33. And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will 
speak but this once ; Peradventure ten shall be found there. And 
the Lord went his way as soon as he .had left communing with 
Abraham ; and Abraham returned unto his place. 

w Psalm Ixiii. 2. My flesh longeth to see thy power and thy gle- 
ry, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. And xxvii. 4. One 
thing have 1 desired of the Lord, that will f seek after, that I may 
dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold 
the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple. 

x Rev. i. 17. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead : 
and he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I 
am the first and the last. 

y Song ii. 4, 5. He brought me to the banqueting-house, and his 
banner over me was love. Stay me with flagons, comfort me with 
-apples ; for I am sick of love. 

% 1 Cor. vii. 10. For godly-sorrow wo rketh repentance unto sal- 
vation, not to be repented of, Eccl. vii. 3. Sorrow is better than 
laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made 
better. 



168 GOSPEL sonnets. Part III. 

Most precious when I am most vile b y 
And most at home when in exile c. 

My base and honourable birth 
Excites my mourning and my mirth d> 

a Prov. xiv. IS. Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful; and 
the end of that mirth is heaviness. : 

b Job xl. 4. Behold I am vile, what shall t answer thee ? I will 
lay my hand upon my mouth, Chap. xlii. 5,6. I have heard of thee 
by the hearing of the ear ; but now mine eye seeth thee. Where- 
fore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes. Jer. xxxi. 18, 
19,20. I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus, 
Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccus- 
tomed to the yoke : turn thou me, and I shall be turned ; for thou 
art the Lord my God. Surely after that I was turned, I repented, 
and after that 1 was instructed, I smote upon my thigh ; 1 was 
ashamed ; yea, even confounded, because, I did bear the reproach 
of my youth. Is Ephraim my dear son, is he a pleasant child ? for 
since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still : there- 
fore my bowels are troubled for him ; I will surely have mercy 
upon him, saith the Lord. 

c Ezek. i. 1. Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the 
fourth month, in the fifth day of .the month, (as I was among the 
captives by the river of Chebar,) that the heavens were opened, 
and I saw visions of God. Rev. i. 9, 10. I John, who also am your 
brother and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and pa- 
tience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the 
word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the 
spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of 
a trumpet, &c. John xvi. 32. Behold the hour cometh, yea is 
now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and 
shall leave me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father, 
is with me. 

d Ezek. xvi. 3, 4. Thus saith the Lord God unto Jerusalem, 
Thy birth and thy nativity is of the land of Canaan ; thy father 
was an Amorite, and thy mother an Hittite. And as for thy na- 
tivity in the day thou wast born, thy navel was not cut, neither 
wast. thou washed in water to supple thee : thou wast not salted 
at all, nor, swaddled at all. John i. 13. Which were born, not of 
blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of 
God. — Psalm li. 5. Behold 1 was shapen in iniquity ; and in sin did 
my mother conceive me. 2 Pet. i. 3. Blessed be the God and Fa- 
ther of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant 
mercy, hath begotten us again unto a lively hope, by the resur- 
rection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 



Sect. V. THE BELIEVER'S RIDDLE. l69 

I'm poor, yet stock'd with untold rent e \ 
Most weak, and yet omnipotent f. 

On earth there's none so great and high g> 
Nor yet so low and mean as I h ; 
None or so foolish /, or so wise k ; 
So often fall, so often rise /. 

I, seeing him I never saw m, 

Serve without fear, and yet with awe n. 

e Rev. iii. 17. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased 
with goods, and have need of nothing ; and knowest not that thou 
art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. I 
counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest 
be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that 
the shame of thy nakedness do not appear ; and anoiflt thine eyes 
with eye-salve, that thou mayest see. Eph. iii. 8. Unto me who 
am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should 
preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. \ 

/John xv. 5. Without me ye can do nothing. Phil. iv. 13. I 
can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. 

g Psalm xvi. 3. But to the saints that ate in the earth, and to 
the excellent, in whom is all my deligJit. Isa. xliii. 4. Since thou 
wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have 
loved thee : therefore will I give men for thee, and people for 
thy life. 

h Eph. iii. 8. See letter e. 1 Tim. i. 15. This is a faithful say- 
ing, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into 
the world to save sinners, of whom I am the chief. 

i Psalm Ixxiii. 22. So foolish was I, and ignorant ; I was as a 
beast before thee. Prov. xxx. ii. 3. Surely I am more brutish 
than any man, and have not the understanding of a man. I nei- 
ther learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy. 

k 1 Cor. i. 30. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is 
made unto us wisdom, &c. Mattb. xi. 25, 26. At that time Jesus 
answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and 
earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and pru- 
denr, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father, for so 
it seemed good in thy sight. Chap. xiii. 11. Jesus answered and 
said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the myste- 
ries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 

/ Prov. xxiv. 16. A just man falleth seven times, and riseth up 
again. 

H 1 Pet. i. 8. Whom having not seen, ye love ; in whom, tho' 
now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeak- 
able, and full of glory. Heb. xi. 1. Now faith is the substance of 
things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. , 

n Luke i. 74. That he would grant uato us, that we being deli- 



1 70 GOSPEL sonnets. Part III. 

Though love, when perfect, fear remove o, 
Yet most I fear when most I love jp, 

All things are lawful unto me q, 
Yet many things unlawful be r; 
To some I perfect hatred beary", 
Yet keep the law of love entire J" : 

I'm bound to love my friends /, but yet 

1 sin unless I do them hate u : 

I am oblig d to hate my foes v> 

Yet bound to love and pray for those iv. 

vered out of the hands of our enemies, might serve him without 
fear. Heb. xii. 28. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which 
cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God 
acceptably, with reverence and godly fear. 

o 1 John iv. 18. There is no fear in love ; but perfect love cast- 
eth out fear, because fear hath torment; he that feareth is not 
made perfect in love. 

p Jer. xxxiii. 9. And it shall be to me a name and joy, a praise 
and an honour before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear 
all the good that I do unto them ; and they shall fear and tremble 
. for all the goodness, and for all the prosperity that 1 can procure 
unto it. Hos. iii. 5/ Afterwards shall the children of Israel return, 
and seek the Lord their God, and David their king, and shall fear 
the Lord and his goodness, in the latter days. 

q 1 Cor. vi. 12. All things are lawful unto me, but all things are 
not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be 
brought under the power of any. 

r Exod. xx. i. 2, 3. &c. And God spake all these words, saying, 
I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of tke land 
mi Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other 
gods before me, &c. 

/Psalm cxxxix. 21, 22. Do not I hate them, O Lord,that hate 
thee ? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? 
I hate them with a perfect hatred, I count them mine enemies. 

s 2 Chron. xix. 2. And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer, went 
out to meet him, and said to king Jehoshaphat, Shouldst thou help 
the ungodly, and love them that hate the Lord ? therefore is wrath 
upon thee from before the Lord. 

t Lev. xix. 18. Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge, a- 
gainst the children of thy people, but thou shalt love t ; neigh 
bour as thyself: I am the Lord. 

u Luke xiv. 26. If any man come to me, and hate not his father, 
and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, 
and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. 

v As they are the foes of God. Judges v. 31. So let all thine 
enemies perish, O Lord; but let them that love him be as the 



Sect. V. the believer's riddle. 171 

Heart-love to men I'm call'd t' impart, 
Yet God still calls for all my heart at. 
I do him and his service both 
By nature love y> by nature lothe z. 

SECT. V.— Mysteries about flesh and spirit, liberty and 
bondage, life and death, 

"]%/■' UCH like my heart both false and true a, 
XtX. J k ave a name both old and new b> 

sun when he goeth forth in his might. Psalm xvii. 13, 14. Arise, 
O Lord, disappoint him, cast him down : deliver my soul from 
the wicked which is thy sword; from men which rre thy hand, 
O Lord, from men of the world, which have their portion in 
this life, and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure : they 
are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their 
babes. 

iv Matth. v. 44. But I say unto you, iLove your enemiei, bless 
them that curse you, do good to them that hate you* and pray for? 
tliem which despitefully use you, and persecute you. 

x Matth. xix. 19. Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love thy neigh* 
Bour as thyself. Chap. xxii. 37. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God: 
with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 

y 1 John v. 2. By this we know that we love the children of 
God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. 

% Rom. viii. 7. The carnal mind is enmity against God : for it is 
not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. Col. i. 21. 
And you that were sometimes alienated, and enemies in your minds 
by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled. 

a Jer. xvii. 9. The heart is deceitful above all things, and despe- 
rately wicked, who can know it ? Heb. x. 22. Let us draw near 
with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts 
sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure 
water. 

b Rom. ix. 25, 26.. As he saith also in Osee, 1 will call them my 
people, which were not my people : and her, beloved, which was 
not my beloved. And it shall come to pass, that in the place 
where it wag said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall 
they be called, The children of the living God. Rev. ii. 17. He 
that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the 
churches. To him that overcometh, will I giye to eat of the hid- 
den manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a 
new name written, which no man knoweth, saving he that re- 
ceiveth it. Chap. iii. 12, Him that overcometh will I make a pil- 
lar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and- 
1 will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the 



172 gospel sonnets. Part III, 

No new thing is beneath the sun c \ 
Yet all is new, and old things gone d. 

Though in my flesh dwells no good thing e } 
Yet Christ in me I joyful singyi 
Sin I confess, and I deny ; 
For though I sin, it is not I g. 

I sin against, and with my will h ; 
Fm innocent, yet guilty still /. 

city of my God, which is New Jerusalem, which cometh down 
out of heaven from my God, and I will write upon him my new 
name. 

c Eccl. i. 9. The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be : 
and that which is done, is that which shall be done ; and there is 
no new thing under the sun. 

d 2 Cor. v. 17. If any man be in Christ he is a new creature ; 
old things are passed away, behold all things are become new. 
Rev. xxi. 5. And he that sat upon the throne, said, Behold, I make 
all things new. 

e Rom. vii. 28. For I know, that in me (that is, in my flesh) 
■ dwelleth no good thing ; for to will is present with me, but how 
to perform that which is good, I find not. 

f Co\. i. 27. To whom God would make known what is the 
riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is 
Christ in you the hope of glory. 

g Rom. vii. 14, — 20. For we know that the law xs spiritual ; 
but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do, I allow not ; 
for what I would, that I do not; but what I hate, that do I. If 
then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is 
good. Now then, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth 
in me. For I know, that in me (that is, in my fleshy dwelleth no 
good thing; for to will is present with me, but how to perform 
that which is good, I find not. For the good that 1 would, I do 
not ; but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now, if I do that 
I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 
I John iii. 9. Whosoever is born of God, doth not commit sin ; for 
his seed remaineth in him ; and he cannot sin, because he is born of 
God. 

b Rom. vii. 21, — 25. I find then a law, that when I would 
do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of 
God, after the inward man. But I see another law in my mem- 
bers, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into 
captivity to the law of sin, which is in my members. O wretched 
man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death ! 
I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then, with the 
mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law 
of sin. 

i Psalm xix. 13. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous 



Sect.V^ THE BELIEVER'S RIDDLE, 173 ; 

Though fain I'd be the greatest saint k y 
To be the least Fd.be content L 

My lowness may my height evince m y 
Fm both a beggar and a prince tu 
With meanest subjects I appear o % 
With kings a royal sceptre bear p. 

I'm both unfetter'd and involv'd q. 
By law condemn'd, by law absolv'd r, 

sins, let them not have dominion over me, then shall I be upright, 
and 1 shall Be innocent from the great transgression. And cxx* 
3. If thou, Lord, shouldst mark iniquity ; O* Lord, who shall- 
stand? 

k Psalm xxvii. 4. One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will 
Lseek after, that 1 may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days 
of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his 
tempi*. 

/ Psalm lxxxiv. 10. For a day in thy courts is better than a 
thousand ; 1 had rather be a door-keeper in the house of my God, 
than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. a 

m Job v. 11. To set upon high those that be low; ffoat those 
which mourn may be exalted to safety.. 

71 1 Sam. ii. 8. The Lord raiseth the poor out of the du-st, and 
lifteth up the beggar from the dung-hili, to set them among prin- 
ces, and to make them inherit the throne of glory ; for the pillars 
of the earth are the Lord's, and he hath set the world upon them. 
Gen. xxxii. 28. And the angel said, Thy name shall be called na 
more Jacob, but Israel, for as a prince thou hast power with God 
and with men, and hast prevailed. Rev. i,. 5, 6. Unto him that 
lovedus, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath 
made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be 
glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. 

o Phil. ii. 10. That at the name of Jtsus every knee should 
bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under 
the earth, Heb. i. 6. And again, when he bringeth in the first be- 
gotten into the world, he saith, And let all the Angels of God wor- 
ship him. 

p Rev. ii. 26, 27. And he- that overcometh, and keepeth my 
works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations :.. 
(and he shall rule them as with a rod of iron : as the vessels of 
a potter shall they be broken to shivers) even as I received of.myA 
Father. 

q Psalm cxvi. 16. 0h Lord, truly lam thy servant ; I am thy 
servant, and the son of thy handmaid ; thon hast loosed my bonds. 
Rom. vii. 23. But I see another law in my members, warring. against 
the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to. the law o£ 
lin, which is in my members. 

r 1 J«lw iii. 20. For if our heart condemn us* God is greater 
P3 



174* < gospel sonnets. Part III; 

My guilt condingly punish'd see, 
Yet I the guilty wretch go free s* 

My gain did by my loss begin / \ 
My righteousness commenc'd by sin u ; 
My perfect peace by bloody strife v\ 
Life is my death, and death my life w. 

I'm (in this present life I know) 
A captive and a freeman too x j 
And though my death can't set me free, 
It will perfect my liberty y. 

than our heart, and knoweth all things, Rom. viii. 1. There is 
therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, 
who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit, i;. 38, 34. 
Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God 
that justifieth: who is he that condemneth ? It is "Christ that died, 
yea, rarher that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of 
God, who al«o maketh intercession for us. 

s Gal. iii. 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the 
law, being made a curse for us : for it is written. Cursed is every 
one that harigeth on a tree. 

t Rom iii. 23, 24. For all have sinned, and come short of the 
glory of God : being" justified freely by his grace, through the re- 
demption that is in Jesus Christ. 

u Rom. iii. 5. But if our unrighteousness commend the righte- 
ousness of God, what shall we say ? Chap. v. 20, 21. But where 
sin abounded, grace did much more abound : that as sin hath 
reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteous- 
ness, unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord. 

«d Col. i. 20. And (having made peace through the blood of his 
cross) by him to reconcile all things unto himself, by him, I say, 
whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. 

iv The life of sin is our death. 1 Tim. v. 6. But she that liveth 
in pleasure is dead v/hile she liveth. The death of Christ our life. 
2 Cor. v. 14, 15. For the love of Christ constraineth us, because 
we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead : and 
that he died for all, that they which live, should not henceforth 
live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose 
3gain. 

x Rom. vii. 23. Sjee letter q. Chap. viii. 2. For the law of the 
Spirit of life, in Christ Jesus, hath made me free from the law of 
sin and death. 

y John viii. 36. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall 
be free indeed. Rev. xiv. 13. And I heard a voice from heaven, 
saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, 
from henceforth : Yea saith the Spirit, that they may rest from 
their labours; and their works do follow them. 2 Cor. v. 4 



w 



Sect. VI. THE BELIEVER'S RIDDLE. 17£ 

I am not worth one dusty grain, 
Yet more than worlds of golden gain ; 
Though worthless I myself endite, 
Yet shall as worthy walk in white z. 

SECT. Vl.—The mystery of free justification through 
Christ's obedience and satisfaction, 

[O creature ever could or will 
For sin yield satisfaction full a ; 
Yet justice from the creature's hand 
Both sought and got its full demand b. 

Hence though I am, as well I know, 
A debtor r, yet I nothing owe d. 

For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not 
for that we would not be unclothed, but clothed upon, that morta- 
lity might be swallowed up of life. 

% Gen. xxxii. 10. I am not worthy of the least of all thy mer- 
cies, and of all the truth which thou hast shewed unto thy servant; 
for with my staff I passed over this Jordan, and now 1 am become 
two bands. Rev. iii. 4. Thou hast a few names even in Sardis, 
which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with 
me in white ; for they are worthy. 

a Psalm xlix. 8. For the redemption of their soul is precious, and 
it ceaseth for ever. Isa. xl. 16. And Lebanon is not sufficient to 
burn, nor all the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt- offering. 

b Psalm xl. 6. Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire, mine 
ears thou hast opened : burnt-offering and sin-offering hast thou 
not*required. Heb. x. 5, 6, 7. Wherefore, when he cometh into 
the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not, but 
a body hast thou prepared for me : in burnt- offerings and sacri- 
fices for sin thou hast had no pleasure ; then said I, Lo I come 
fin the volume of thy book it is written of me) to do thy will; 
O God. Eph. v. 2. Christ hath loved us, and hath given himself 
for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling 
savour. 

c Matth. vi. 12. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our 
debtors. 

d Rom. iii, 24, 2$. Being justified freely by his grace, through 
the redemption that is in Jesus Christ : whom God hath set forth 
to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood, to declare his righ- 
teousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the for- 
bearance of God. Heb. x. 14. For by one offering he hath per- 
fected for ever them that are sanctified. 



176 gospel sonnets. Fart IIIv 

My creditor has nought to say e f 
Yet never had I aught to pay^ 

He freely pardon'd ev'ry mite g, 
Yet would no single farthing quit Ju 
Hence ev'ry bliss that falls to me 
Is dearly bought, yet wholly free z, 

All pardon that I need I have, 
Yet daily pardon need to crave i. 
The law's arrest keeps me in awe /, 
But yet 'gainst me there is no law m. 

t Rom. viii. 33, 34. Who shall lay any thing to the charge o£ 
God's elect ? It is Christ that justifieth ; who is he that condem- 
neth ? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again,, who is 
even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession 
for us. 

/Rom. v. 6. For when we were yet without strength, in due 
time Christ died for the ungodly. <v. 8. But God commendeth 
his love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died 
for us. 

g Acts xiii. 38, 39* Beit known unto you, therefore,, men' and 
brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgive- 
ness of sins : and by him all that believe are justified from ail things, 
from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. 

b Rom. iii. 24, 25. See letter d. Chap. viii. 22, He spared not 
his^own Son, but delivered him up for us alL 

i 1 Pet. xviii. 19. For as muck as ye know that ye were not 
redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold* from- your 
vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers ; but 
With the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish 
and without spot. Eph. i. 7. In whom we have redemption thro* 
his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his 
grace. 2 Tim. i. 9. Who hath saved us, and called us with a holy 
calling ; not accodiing to our works, but according to his own 
purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the 
world began. 

k Psalm ciii. 3. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth 
all thy diseases. And xxv. 1 1. For thy. name's sake, O Lord, par- 
don mine iniquity ; for it is very great. Luke xi. 4. And forgive 
us our sins v.for we aiso forgive every one that is indebted to us. 
Dan, ix. 19. O Lord, hear ; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken 
and do, defer not for thine own sake, O my God; for thy city, and 
thy people, are called ,by thy name. 

/ Psalm cxix. 120. My flesh tremblethfor fear of thee* and I am 
afraid of thy judgments. Rom. vii. 9. I was alive without the law 
once ; but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. 
<y. 13, Was then that which is, good made death uato me ?_ God 



Sect. VI. the believer's riddle. 17T 

Though truth my just damnation crave n y 
Yet truth's engag'd my soul to save o. 
My whole salvation comes by this, 
Fair truth and mercy's mutual kiss p. 

Law-breakers ne'er its curse have miss'd j 
But I ne'er kept it, yet am bless'd q. 
I can't be justify 'd by it r, 
And yet it can't but me acquit f. 

forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by 
that which is good ; that sin by the commandment might become 
exceeding sinful. 

m Gal. v. 23. The fruit of the Spirit is — meekness, temperance, 
against such there is no law. 1 Tim. i. 9. Knowing this, "that :he 
law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and diso- 
bedient, &c. 

n Ezek. xviii. 4. The soul that sinneth, it shall die. 

o 1 Tim. i. 15. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all ac- 
ceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners ; 
of whom I am the chief. 

p Psalm Ixxxv. 10. Mercy and truth are met together; righte- 
ousness and peace have kissed each other. 

q Gal. iii. 10. As many as are of the works of the law, are under 
the curse ; for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth 
not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do 
them. <v. 13, 14. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the 
law, being made a curse for us : for it is written, Cursed is every 
one that hangeth on a tree : that the blessing of Abraham might 
come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ ; that we might re- 
ceive the promise of the Spirit through faith. 

r Rom. iii. 20. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no 
flesh be justified in his sight : for by the law is the knowledge of 
sin. Gal. ii. 16. Knowing that a man is not justified by the works 
of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed 
in Jesus Christ ; that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, 
and not by the works of the law ; for by the works of the law shall 
no flesh be justified. Chap. iii. 11. But that no'man is justified by 
the law in the sight of God, it is evident ; for the just shall live by 
faith. 

/Rom. viii. 1. There is therefore now no Condemnation to them 
which are in Christ Jesus. <u. 3, 4. For what the law could not 
do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own 
Son, in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the 
flesh; that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in »s, 
who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2 Cor. v. 21. 
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin ; that we 
might be made the. righteousness of God in him, Rom. iii. 26. Te 



178 gospel sonnets. Part IIL 

I'm not oblig'd to keep it more s, 
Yet more oblig'd than e'er before t> 
By perfect doing life I find u f 
Yet * do and live' no more me bind v. 

These terms no change can undergo, 
Yet sweetly chang'd they are w : for lo, 
My doing caus'd my life x, but now 
My life's the cause that makes me doy, 

declare* I say, at this time his righteousness ; that he might be 
just, and the justifier of him. which believeth in Jesus. 

s Rom. vi. 14. Sin shall not have dominion over you ; for ye are 
not under the law, but under grace. Gal. v. 1, — 4^ Stand fast there, 
fore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not 
entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Behold T Paul say un- 
to you, that, if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. 
For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a 
debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto 
you, whosoever of you are justified by the law ; ye are fallen from 
grace. 

t Rom. vi. 1, 2, What shall we say then ? shall w« continue in 
«in, that grace- may abound? God forbid ; how shall we that are 
dead to sin, live any longer therein ? v. 15. What then ? shall we 
sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace ? God for- 
bid. 

u Rom. v. 17, IS, 19. They which receive abundance of grace, 
and of the gift of righteousness, shall reign in life by one, Jesus 
Christ. — By the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all 
men to justification of life. — By the obedience of one shall many 
be made righteous. 

i) Rom. x. 5 — 9. For Moses describeth the righteousness which 
is of the law, That the man which doth these things, shall live 
by them. But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this 
wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven ? (that 
is, to bring Christ down from above ;) or who shall descend into the 
deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again, from the dead;) but 
what saith it ? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in 
thy heart ; that Is, the word of faith which we preach, That if 
thou shatt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe 
in thine heart, that God hath raised him from the dead* thou shalt 
be saved. 

it> Rom. iii. 31. Do we then make void the law through faith? 
God forbid ; yea» we establish the law. 
x Rom. x. 5. See letter v. 

y John xiv. 19. Because I live, ye shall live also. Chap* xv. 5. I 
am the vine, ye are the branches ; he that abideth in me, and I in 
him, the same bringeth forth much fruit ; for without me ye can 
do nothing. Rom. vii. 4. Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are be- 



Sect. VL» the believer's riddle. 179 

Though works of righteousness I store iz, 
Yet righteousness of works abhor a ; 
For righteousness without a flaw 
Is righteousness without the law b. 

In duty's way Fm bound to lie r, 
Yet out of duties bound to fly d\ 
Hence merit I renounce with shame *, 
Yet right to life by merit claim^/. 

Merit of perfect righteousness 
I never had g 9 yet never miss h $ 

come dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be 
married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that 
we should bring forth fruit unto God. Ezek. xxxvi. 27. And I will 
put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, 
and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. 

e& Phil. i. 11. Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which 
are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God. 

a Phil, iii- 9. And be found in him, not having mine own righ- 
teousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith 
of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith. Isa. Ixiv. 6. 
All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. Rom. iv. 6. Even as 
David also describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God 
imputeth righteousness without works. 

b Rom. iii. 20, 21, 22. Therefore by the deeds of the law there 
shalr no flesh be justified in his tight:; for by the law' is the know- 
ledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the 
law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets ; 
even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ 
unto all, and upon all them that believe; for there is no diffe- 
rence. 

c Prov» viii. 34. Blessed is the man that lieareth me, watching 
daily at my gates, waking at the posts of my doors. 

d Isa. lvii. 12. I will declare thy righteousness, and thy works, 
for they shall not profit thee. Luke xvii. 10. When ye shall have 
done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are un- 
profitable servants ; we have done that which was our duty to do. 
e Psalm xvi. 2. O my soul, thou hast said unto the Lord, Thou 
art my Lord ; my goodness extendeth not to thee. Ezek. xxxvi. 
32. Not for yo«r sakes do I this, saith the Lord God, be it known 
unto you; be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house 
of Israel. 

/Rom. v. IS, 19. By the righteousness of one, the free gift came 
upon all men unto justification of life. By the obedience of one 
shall many be made righteous. Isa. xlv. 24, 25. Surely shall one say, 
In the Lord have I righteousness and strength ; even to him shall 
men come, and all that are incensed against him shall be asham- 



180 GOSPEL sonnets. Part III, 

On this condition I have all /, 
Yet all is unconditional k. 

Though freest mercy I implore /, 
Yet I am safe on justice' score m. 
Which never could the guilty free n y 
Yet fully clears most guilty me o. 

ed. In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall 
glory. 

g Rom. iii. 9. 10. What then ? are we better than they ? No, 
in no wise ; for we have proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they 
are all under sin ; as it is written, There is none righteous, do 
not one. v. 19. Now we know, that what things soever the law 
saith, it saith to them who are under the law ; that every mouth 
may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before 
God. 

h 1 Cor. i. 30. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is 
made unto us — righteousness. Isa. xlv. 24. See letter f. Jer. 
xxiii. 6. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell 
safely ; and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE 
LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. 

i Isa. xlii. 21. The Lord is well pleased for his righteousness 
sake, he will magnify the law and make it honourable. Matth. 
iii. 15. Thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness, v. 17. And 
lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom 
lam well pleased. 

k Isa. Iv. 1. Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the wa- 
ters, and he that hath no money, come ye, buy and eat; yea, 
come, buy wine and milk without money, and without price. 
Rev. xxii. 17. Whosoever will let him take of the water of life 
freely. 

/Psalm li. 1. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy 
loving-kindness according unto the multitude of thy tender mer- 
cies, blot out my transgressions. 

m Rom. iii. 24, 25, 26. Being justified freely by his grace, 
through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ: whom God hath 
set forth to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood, to declare 
his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through 
the forbearance of God ; to declare, I say, at this time his righte- 
ousness; that he might be just, and the juscifier of him which be- 
lieveth in Jesus. 1 John i. 9. If we confess our sins, he is faithful 
and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighte- 
ousness. 

n Exod. xxiv. 6, 7. And the Lord passed by before him, and 
proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God,— that will by no means 
xlear the guilty. 

o Rom. iv. 5. To him that worketh not, but belie veth on him 
that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. 



Sect. VII. THE BELIEVER'S RIDDLE. I 8 1 

SECT. VII. The mystery gf God the Justifies Rom. lii. 
26. justified both in his justifying and condemning ; or 
soul-justification and self-condemnation, 

MY Jesus needs not save a, yet must b ; 
He is my hope c f I am his trust d. 
He paid the double debt, well known 
Tfo be all iaiine, yet all his own e. 

Hence, though I ne'er had more or less 
Of justice pleasing righteousness^ 
Yet here is one wrought to my hand. 
As full as justice can demand g. 

a Rom. ix. 5. Christ is over all, God blessed for ever. 
b John x. 16. And other sheep I have, which are not of this 
fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and 
there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. *u, 18. No man taketh 
it (my life) from me, but I lay it down of myself : I have power 
to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This com- 
mandment have 1 received of my Father. Luke ii. 49. And 
Jesus said unto them (Joseph and his mother,) How is it that 
ye sought me ? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's bu- 
siness ? 

c Jer. xiv. 8. O the hope of Israel, the Saviour thereof in time 
of trouble, &c. Chap. xvii. 17. Be not a terror unto me, thou art 
my hope in the day of evil. 1 Tim. i. 1. Paul an apostle of Jesus 
Christ ; by the commandment of God our Saviour, and the Lord 
Jesus Christ, which is ©or hope. 

d John xvii. 6\ I have manifested thy name unto the men which 
thou gavest me out of the world ; thine they were, and thou gav- 
est them me. 2 Tim. i. 12. I know whom I have believed; and 
I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have commit- 
ted unto him against that day. 

« Isa. liii. 4. 5, 6. Surely he hath 'borne our griefs, and carried 
our sorrows ; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and 
afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was 
bruised for our iniquities ; the chastisement of our peace was upon 
him, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have 
gone astray ; we have turned every one to his own ^way, and the 
Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. v. 8. For the trans- 
gression of my people was he stricken. Heb. vii. 22. By so much 
was Jesus made a surety of a better testament. 
/Rom. iii. 9, 10, 19. See letter g forecited. 
£ Dan. ix. 24. Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people, 

Q 



182 GOSPEL SONNETS. Part III. 

By this my Judge is more appeas'd 
Than e'er my sins his hoijour leas-'d //. 
Yea, justice can't be pleas'd so. well 
By all the torments borne in hell /. 

Full satisfaction here is such, 
^As hell can never yield so much k ; 
Though justice therefore might me damn. 
Yet by more justice sav'd I am /. 

and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an 
end of sin?, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring 
in everlasting righteousness, &c. Zech. xiii. 7. Awake, O sword, 
against my Shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith 
the Lord of hosts : smite the Shepherd, and the sheep shall be 
scattered, and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones. 

h Rom. v» 8 — ll. But God commendeth his love towards us, 
in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us. Much more than 
being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath 
through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled 
to God by the death of his Son; much more being reconciled, we 
shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in 
God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now recei- 
ved the atonement. Heb. ix. 14. How much more shail the blood 
of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without 
spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the 
living God ? 

i Heb. x. 5, 6. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he 
saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not, but a body hast thou 
prepared for me ; in r burnt- offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast 
had no pleasure. <v. 14. By one offering he hath perfected far ever 
them that are sanctified. <o. 49. Of how much sorer punishment 
suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden under 
foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant 
wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done des- 
pite unto the Spirit of grace. 

k Rom. v. 11. See letter h. Eph. v. 2. Christ hath given him- 
self for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling 
savouf. 1 Pet. i. 18, 19. Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not 
redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your 
vain conversation, received by tradition from your fathers; but 
with the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish 
and without spot. Gal. iii. 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the 
curse of the law, being made a curse for us. 

/ 1 Pet. iii, 18. Christ hath once suffered for sins, the just for the 
unjust, (that he might bring us to God, J being put-to d ath in the 
flesh, but quickened by the Spirit. Rom iii. 26. To declare, I say, 
at this time his righteousness ; that he might be just, and the just- 



Part III. the believer's riddle. 183 

Here ev'ry divine property 
Is to the highest set on high tn ; 
Hence God his glory would injure, 
If my salvation were not sure n. 

My peace arid safety lie in this, 
My Creditor my Surety is o y 
The judgment-day I dread the less, 
My Judge is made my righteousness p. 

He paid out for a bankrupt crew 
The debt that to himself was due % 
And satisfy'd himself for me, 
"When he did justice satisfy q. 

fier of him which helieveth in Jesus. 1 John ii. 2. And he is the 
propitiation for our sins ; and not for ours only, but also for the 
sins of the whole world. Chap. iv. 10. Herein is love, not that we 
loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propi- 
tiation for our sins. 

m Rom. iii. 25. Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation, 
through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the re- 
mission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God. 
Psalm lxxxv. 10. Mercy and truth are met together; righteous- 
ness and peace have kissed each other. 2 Cor. v. 18, 19. And all 
things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus 
Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation ; to wit, 
that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not im- 
puting their trespasses unto them ; and hath committed unto us the 
word of reconciliation. <z>. 21. For he hath made him to be sin fcr 
ns, who knew no sin ; that we might be made the righteousness of 
God in him. Luke ii. 14. Glory to God in the highest, and on 
earth peace, good-will towards men. 

72. Isa. xliv. 23. Sing, O ye heavens ; for the Lord hath done it ; 
shout, ye lower parts of the earth ; break forth into singing, ye 
mountains, O forest, and every tree therein ; for the Lord hath re- 
deemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel. Eph. i. 6. To the 
praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted 
in the Beloved. <z\ 12. That we should be to the praise of his glo- 
ry who first trusted in Christ. 

o Psalm cxix. 1 2<2. Be surety for thy servant for good ; let not 
the proud oppress me. Heb. vii. 22. By so much was Jesus made 
a surety of a better testament. 

q 1 Cor. i. SO. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who, of God, 
is made unto u — righteousness. Chap. xv. 55, 56, 57. O death, 
where is thy sting ? O grave, where is thy victory ? The stincr of 
death is sin , and the strength- of sin is the law : But thanks be to 
God, which giveth us the victo r y, through our Lord Jesus Christ, 



1 84 gospel sonnets. Part III, 

He to the law, though Lord of it, 
Did most obediently submit r. 
What he ne'er broke, and yet must die, 
I never kept, yet live must If. 

The law, which him its keeper kill'd, 
In me its breaker is fulfilled s ; 
He rnagnify'd and honoured more 
Than sin defac'd it e'er before t. 

Hence though the law condemn at large, 
It can lay nothing to my charge u \ 

q Zech. xiii. 7. See letter £. Rom. ix. 5. Christ is over all, God 
blessed for ever. Phil. iii. 6, 7, 8, Christ Jesus being in the form of 
God, thought it no robbery to be equal with God ; but made him- 
self of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, aad 
was made in the likeness of man : and being found in fashion as a 
man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even 
the d«ath of the cross. 

r Ibid. Gal. iv. 4, 5. But when the fulness of the time was come, 
God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to 
redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the 
adoption of sons. 

f\ Pet. iii. 18. See letter /. 2 Con v. 21. See letter m. 1 John 
iv. 9. In this was manifested the love of God towards us, because 
that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might 
live through him. 

i Rom. viii. S, 4. For what the law could not do, in that it was 
weak through the flesh, God, sending his own Son in the likeness 
oi sinful flesh, and for sin condemned sin in the flesh ; that the 
righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk.not af- 
ter the flesh, but after the Spirit. 

t Isa. xlii. 21. The Lord is well pleased for his righteousness* 
sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honourable. Rom. v. 
28 — 21. Therefore, as by the offence of one, judgment came upon 
all men to condemnation : even so by the righteousness of one, the 
free gift came upon all men unt© justification of life. For, as by 
one man's disobedience many were made sinners : so by the obedi- 
ence of one shall many be made righteous. Moreover, the law en- 
tered, that the offence might abound, but where sin abounded, 
grace did much more abound ; that as sin hath reigned unto death v 
even so might giace reign through righteousness unto eternal life, 
by Jesus Christ our Lord. 

u Rom. viii. 1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them 
which are in Christ Jesus, y. 3, 4. See letter /. <u. 33, 34. Who 
shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect ? It is God that 
justifieth ; who is he that condemneth ? It is Christ that died, yea 



Sect. VII. THE BELIEVER'S RIDBl^. t$A 

Nor find such ground to challenge me, 
As Heaven hath found to justify v. 

But though he freely me remit, 

I never can myself acquit iv> 

My Judge condemns me not, I grant ; 

Yet justify myself I can't x. 

From him I have a pardon got, 
But yet myself I pardon not y. 
His rich forgiveness still I have, 
Yet never can myself forgive z. 

The more he's toward me appeas'd, a 
The more Tm with myself displeas'd \ 
The more I am absolv'd by him, 
The more I do myself condemn b. 

iaiher, that is risen again, who is eveii at the right hand of God, 
who also maketh intercession for us. 

*u Job xxxiii. 24. Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, 
Deliver him from going down to the pit, 1 have found a ran- 
som. Rom. iii. 25, 26. Whom God hath set forth to be a pro- 
pitiation, through faith io his blood, to declare his righteous- 
ress for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbear- 
ance o" God , to declare, I say, at this time, his righteousness; 
ihat he might be jus:, and the ju&t.ner of him which believeth in 

-JeSUS. 

*w 2 Sam. xii. 13. And David said unto Nathan, T have sinned 
against the Lord. And Nathan said unto D^vid, The Lord also 
hath put away thy sin ; thou shalt not die. Psalm li. 2, 3. Wash 
me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 
For 1 acknowledge my transgressions; a:;J-iif sin is even before 
me. 

x Rom. viii. 1, S3. See letter u. Juh ix. 20. If I justify myself, 
mine own mouth shall condemn me ; If I say I am perfect, it shall 
also prove me perverse. 

y 2 Cor. vii. 1. For behold, this self same thing that ye sor- 
rowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, 
what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, 
yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, What revenge ! • 

v> Isa. XxxviiL 15. What shall I Say ? he hath both spoken unto 
me, and himself hath done it : I shall go softly all my years in the 
bitterness of my soul. 

a Ezek. xvi, 63. That thou mayest remember and be confound- 
ed, and never open thy mouth any more, because of thy name 
when I am pacified toward thee, for all that thou hast done, saith 
the Lord God. 

b Luke xviii. 13, 14, And the publican standing afai off, would 

Q3 



1.86 GOSPEL SONNETS. Part III. 

When he in heaven dooms me to dwell, 
Then I adjudge myself to hell c \ 
Yet still I to his judgment gree, 
And clear him for absolving me d. 

not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon hi3 
breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you this man 
went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every 
one that exaketh himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth 
himself shall be exalted. Ezek. xxxvi. 31, 32. Then shall ye re- 
member your own evil ways, and your doings, that were not good, 
and shall lothe yourselves in your own eight for your iniquities, 
and for your abominations. Nor for your sakes do I this, saith the 

* Lord God, be it known unto you : be ashamed and confounded for 
your own ways, O house of Israel. Jer. xxxi. 19. Surely after that 
1 was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed, I smote 
upon my thigh ; I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I 
did bear the reproach of my youth. 

c Matth. xxv. 34 — 39. Then shall the King 6ay unto them on 
his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the king- 
dom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For 1 was 
an hungered, and ye gave me meat ; I was thirsty, and ye gave me 

• drink ; I was a stranger, and ye took me in ; naked, and ye cloth- 
ed me ; I wa* sick, and ye visited me ; I was in prison, and ye came 
unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, 
when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee ? or thirsty, and gave 
thee drink ? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in ? or 
naked, and clothed thee ? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, 
and came unto thee ? 1 Cor. xi. 31. If we would judge ourselves, 
we should not be judged. Luke xv. 20, 21. And he (the prodigal 
son) arose and came to his father. But when he was yet a great 
way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell 
on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I 
have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more wor- 
thy to be called thy son. Gen. xxxii. 9, 10. And Jacob said, O 
God of my father Abraham, and God of my Father Isaac, the Lord 
which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, 
and I will deal well with thee ; I am not worthy of the least of all 
the mercies, and of all the truth which thou hast shewed unto thy 
servant ; for with my staff 1 passed over this Jordan, and now I am 
become two bands. 

d Psalm li. 4. Against thee, thee only have I sinned, and done 
this evil in thy sight; that thou mighte9t be justified when thotL 
sjeakest, and be clear when thon judgest. And xi. 7. The righte- 
ous Lord loveth righteousness, iris countenance doth behold the up- 
right. And cxlv. 16, 17. Thou openesx thine hand, and satisfiest 
the desires of every living thing. The Lord is righteous in all his 



Sect. VIII. THE believer's riddle. 187 

Thus he clears me, and I him clear, 
I justify my Justifier e. 
Let him condemn or justify, 
From all injustice I him ixeef. 

SECT. VIII. The mystery of sanctif cation imperfect in 
this life ; or y the believer doing ally and doing nothing. 

1%/TlNE arms embrace my God a, yet I 
-^-*- Had never arms to reach so high b ; 

ways, and holy in all his works. Rev. xv. 3. And they sing the 
song of the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, 
Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just 
and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. 

c Rom. iii. 26. To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness ; 
that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in 
Jesus. Isa. xlv. 21. There is no God else beside me, a just God and 
a Saviour. <v. 24. Surely shall one say, In the Lord have I righte- 
ousness andltrength. Chap* lxiii. 1. Who is this that cometh from 
Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah ? This that is glorious in 
his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that 
speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Zech. ix. 9. Rejoice 
greatly, O daughter of Zion ; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: 
behold thy King cometh unto thee ; he is just, and having salva- 
tion, &c. 

/Job xxv. 4, 5, 6. How then can man be justified with God} 
or, how can he be clean that is born of a woman ? Behold even to 
the moon, and it shineth not ; yea, the stars are not pure in his 
sight. How much less man that is a worm ; and the son of man 
which is* a worm ? Psalm lxxxix. 14. Justice and judgment are 
the habitation of thy throne ; mercy and truth shall go before thy 
face. And xcvii. 2. Clouds and darkness are round about him ; 
righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne^ 
Rom. iii. 19, 20. Now we know, that what things soever the Jaw 
saith, it saith to them who are under the law : that every mouth 
may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 
Therefore, by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified 
in his sight ; for by the law is the knowledge of sin. <v. 23, 24, 
25. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God : being 
justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Je- 
sus Christ ; whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation, through 
faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of 
sins that are past ; through the forbearance of God, Psalm xxii. 2, 
3. O my God, I cry in the day-time, but thou nearest not; and in 



18S GOSPEL SONNETS. Part III. 

His arm alone me holds c> yet lo, 
I hold and will not let him go d y 

I do according to- his call, 
And yet not I, but he does all e \ 
But though he works to will and &of y 
I without force work freely too g. 

His will and mine agree full well 7i y 
Yet disagree like heav'n and hell /, 

the night-season, and am not silent. But thou art holy, O thou that 
inhabitest the praises of Israel. 

a Song ili. 4. It was but a little that I pissed from them, but I 
found him whom my soul loveth ; I held him, and would not let 
him go, until 1 had brought him into my mother's hou>e, and in- 
to the chamber of her that conceived me. 

b Psalm Ixi. 1. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, 
when my heart is overwhelmed ; lead me to the rock that is hightr 
than I. 

c Psalm Ixiii. 8. My soul followeth hard after thee ; thy right 
hand upholdeth me. Isa. xli. 10. Fear thou not, for I am with 
thee : be no: dismayed, for I am thy God ; I will strengthen thee, 
yea, I will help thee, yea, I will uphold thee w 7 ith the right hand 
of my righteousness. 

d Gen. xxxii. 26. And he (the angel) said, Let me go, for the 
day hreaketh : And he (Jacoh) said, I will no: lit thee go, except 
thou bless me. 

e 1 Cor. xv. 10. But by the grace of God I am what I am ; and 
his grace which was bestowed upon me, was not in vain ; but I 
laboured more abundantly than they all; yet not I, but the grace 
of God which was with me. ?/. 58. Therefore, my beloved bre- 
thren, be ye stedfast, immoveable, always abounding in the work 
of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in v^in 
in the Lord. 

/Phil. ii. 13. It is God which worketh In you, both to will and 
to do of his good pleasure. 

g Psalm ex. S. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy 
power. And cxvi. 16. O Lord, truly I am thy servant, I am 
thy servant, and the son of thy hand-maid; thou hast loosed my 
bonds. 

b Matth. vi. 10. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. 
Psalm xl. 8. I delight to do thy will, O my God; yea thy law is 
within my heart. 

i Matth. xxir 28, 29. A certain man had two sons, and he came 
to the first, and said, Son, go work to-day in my vineyard. He 
answered and said, I will not, &c. John v. 40. Ye will not come 
to me, that ye might have life. Matth: xxiiL 37. O Jerusalem, Je- 



Sect. VIII. the believer's riddle. 189 

His nature's mine k, and mine is his / ; 
Yet so was never that nor this m. 

I know him and his name, yet own 
He and his name can ne'er be known ?i. 
His gracious coming makes me do ; 
I know he comes, yet know not how o. 

I have no good but what he gave p 9 
Yet he commends the good I have q - r 

rusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonestthera which are 
sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children to- 
gether, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, 
and ye would not ! 

k 2 Pet. i. 4. Whereby are given unto us exceeding" great and 
precious promises; that by these ye might be partakers of the di- 
vine nature. 

/ Heb. ii. 14. Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of 
ilesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same. v. 
16. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he 
took on him the seed of Abraham. 

m Isa. xl. 17. All nations before him are as nothing, and they 
are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity. To whom then 
will ye liken God ? or what likeness will ye compare unto him ? 

n Psalm ix. 16. They that know thy name will £ut their trust 
in thee. Prov. xxx. 3,4. I (Agur) neither learned wisdom, nor 
have the knowledge of the holy. Who hath ascended up into hea- 
ven, or descended ? who hath gathered the winds in his fists ? who 
hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the 
ends of the earth ? what is his name ? and what is his son's name, 
if thou canst tell? 

o Sjong iv. 16. Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south : 
blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out : let 
my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits. 
John iii. 8. The wind bloweth where it Hsteth, and thou hearest 
the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence i% cometh, and whither 
it goeth; so is every one that is born of the Spirit. 

p 1 Chron. xxix. 14. And David said, — But who- am 1, and 
what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly af- 
ter this sort; for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we 
given thee. 2 Cor. iii. 5. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves 
to think any thing as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God. 

q 2 Cor. x. IS, For not he that commendeth himself is appro- 
ved, but whom the Lord commendeth. Rom. x.'i. 1, 2, I beseech 
you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your 
bodies a living sacrifice,, holy, acceptable unto God, which is.yoai' 



190 GOSPEL sonnets. Part III, 

And though my good to him ascends r, 
My goodness to him ne'er extendsy. 

I take hold of his cov'nant free s> 
But find it must take hold of me t. 
I'm bound to keep it u y yet 'tis bail, 
And bound to keep me without fail v. 

reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world : but be 
ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove 
what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God. 

r Psalm xxv. 1. Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift my soul. And 
cxli. 2. Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense ; and the 
lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. Eph. iii. 2. In 
whom (Christ Jesus) we have boldness and access with confidence 
by the faith of him. Heh. x. 19. Having therefore, brethren, bold, 
ness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, &c. 

/Psalm xvi. 2. O my soul, thou hast said unto the Lord, Thou 
art my Lord; my goodness extendeth not to thee. 

s Isa. lvi. 4. Thus saith the Lord unto the eunuchs that — take 
hold of my covenant, &c, *>. 6. Also the sons of the stranger that 
join themselves to the Lord, to serve him, and to love the name 
of the Lord, to be his servants, every one that — taketh hold of my 
covenant, &c. 

t Zech. i. 6. But my words and my statutes which I command- 
ed my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fa- 
thers ? and they returned and said, Like as the Lord of hosts 
thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our 
doings, so hath he dealt with us. Psalm ex. 2. 3. The Lord shall 
send the rod of thy strength out of Zion ; rule thou in the midst 
of thine enemies. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy 
power, &c. Rom. i. 16. I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ ; 
for it is the power of God unto salvation, to every one that belie- 
veth, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 2 Cor. ii. 16, — to the 
other we are the savour of life unto life ; and who is sufficient for 
these things. 

u Psalm ciii. 17, 18. The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting 
to everlasting upon them that fear him : and his righteousness un- 
to children's children ; to such as keep his covenant, and to those 
that remember his commandments to do them. Jphn xvii. 6. I 
have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out 
of the world : thine they were, and thou gavest them me \ and 
they have kept thy word. 

<u Psalm lxxxix. 33,-36. Nevertheless, my loving kindness 
will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. 
My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out 
of my lips, Once have I sworn by my holiness, that 1 will not lie 



Sect. VIII. THE BELIEVER'S RIDDLE. 19l 

The bond on my part cannot last w 
Yet on both sides stands firm and fast x. 
I break my bands at every shock, 
Yet never is the bargain broke y. 

Daily, alas ! I disobey z, 
Yet yield obedience evYy day a. 
Fm an imperfect perfect man b, 
That can do all, yet nothing can c. 

unto David. His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the 
sun before me. 

w Psalm Ixxxix. 30, 31 , 32. If his children forsake my law, and 
walk not in my judgments; if they break my statutes, and keep 
not my commandments; then will I visit their transgressions with 
the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. 

x Psalm Ixxxix. 2, 3, 4. For 1 have said, Mercy shall be built up 
for ever; thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens. 
1 have made a covenant with my Chosen, I have sworn unto David 
my servant. Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy 
throne to all generations, «y. 23, 29. My mercy will I keep for 
evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him. His seed 
also will I make to "endure for ever, and his throne as the days of 
heaven. Jer. xxxii. 40. And I will make an everlasting covenant 
with them, and I will not turn away from them to do them good ; 
but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they may not depart 
from me. 

y Psalm Ixxviii. 37. Their heart was not right with him, neither 
were they stedfast in his covenant. Isa. liv. 10. The mountains 
shall depart, and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not 
depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be remo- 
ved, saith the Lord, that hath mercy on thee. 

% James iii. 2. In many things we offend all. 

a Psalm Ixi. 8. So will I sing unto thy name forever, that I may 
daily perform my vows. Heb. iii. 13. Bur exhort one another daily 
while it is called, To day ; lest any of you be hardened through 
the deceitfulness of ain. 

b Psalm xxxvii. 37. Mark the perfect man, and behold the up- 
right ; for the end of that man is peace. Rev. iii. 2. Be watchful, 
and strengthen the things which remain-, that are ready to die ; for 
I have not found thy work perfect before God. 

c Philip, iv. 13. I can do ail things through Christ which 
strengtheneth me. John xv. 5. 1 am the vine, ye are the branches ; 
He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth 
much fruit; for without me ye caja do nothing. 



lf)£ fcOSPEL SONNETS* Part II I.- 

I'm from beneath d> and from above e y 
A child of wrath/, a child of love g. 
A stranger e'en where all may know ; 
A pilgrim, yet I no where go h, 

I trade abroad, yet stay at home u 

My tabernacle is my tomb k. 

I can be prison'd, yet abroad ; 

Bound hand and foot, yet walk with God /. 

d John viii. 23. And Jesus said unto the Jews, Ye are from be" 
ueath— : ye are of this world, &c. 

e Gal. iv. 26. Jerusalem which is from above, is free, which is 
the mother of us all. v. 28. Now, we, brethren, as Isaac was, are 
the children of promise. John i. 13. Which were born, not of 
blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of 
God. And iii. 5, 6. Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto 
thee, (Nicodemusj Except a man be born of water and of the 
Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.— That which is 
born of the Spirit is spirit. 

/Eph. ii. 3. We — were by nature the children of wrath, even as 
Others. 

g Rom. iv. 8, — The children of the promise are counted for the 
seed. 

h Keb. xi. 13. These all— confessed that they were strangers 
and pilgrims on the earth. 1 Pet ii. 11. Dearly beloved, 1 be- 
seech you as strangers and pilgrims, &c. 

i Phil. iii. 20. For our conversation is in heaven, from whence 
also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. 

k 2 Cor. v. 1,2. For we know, that if our earthly house of this 
tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not 
made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, 
earnestly, desiring %o be clothed upon with our house which is from 
heaven, */. 4. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being 
burdened : not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, 
that mortality might be swallowed up of life. 

/ Acts xvi. 24, 25. Tht jailor, having received such a charge, 
thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the 
stocks. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises 
unto God. 2 Tim. ii. 9. Wherein I suffer trouble as an evil doer, 
even unto bonds ; but the word of God is not bound. 2 Cor. vi. 
4. 5. But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of 
God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, 
in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, 
in fastings. 



C!i£p. IX. th£ believer's riddle. 1Q3 

SECT. IX. — The mystery of various names given to 
saints and church of Christ >• or The fie sh and Spirit de* 
scribed from inanimate things , vegetables and sensitives* 

HpO tell the world my proper name, 
-*- Is both my glory and my shame a : 
For like my black, but comely face, 
My name_is Sin, my name is Grace b. 

Most fitly I'm assimilate 

To various things inanimate ; 

A standing lake c 9 a running flood d> 

A fixed star e % a passing cloudy*. 

a Hos. i. 9. Then said God, Call his name Lo-ammi : for ye arc 
not my people, and 1 will not be your God. And ii. 1. Say ye un- 
to your brethren, Ammi, and to your sisters, Ruhamah, «/. 23. 
And I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy, 
and I will say to thera which were not my people, Thou art my 
people ; 3nd they shall say, Thou art my God. 

b Song i. 5. I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusa- 
lem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon. 1 Tim. i. 
15. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that 
Christ lesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am 
chief. Isa. lxii. 2, 3. And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, 
and all king6 thy glory : and thou shah be called by a new name, 
which the mouth ef the Lord shall name. Thou shalt also be a 
crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the 
hand of thy God. 

c Jer. xlviii. 11. Moab hath been at ease from his youth, and he 
hath settled on his lees, and hath not been emptied from vessel to 
vessel, neither hath he gone into captivity : therefore, his taste re- 
mained in him, and his scent is aot changed. 

d Isa. xliv. 3. I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and 
floods upon the dry ground ; I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed# 
and my blessing upon thine offspring. 

e Dan. xii. 3. And they that be wise, shall shine as the bright- 
ness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness, 
as the stars for ever and ever — And in opposition to those called 
wandering stars, Jude 13. 

/Hos. vi. 4. O Ephraim* what shalj I Ido unto thee? O Judah, 
what shall I do unto thee ? for your goodness is as a morning 
cloud, and as the -early dew it goeth away. 

R 



134 GOSPEL SONNETS. Part III. 

A cake unturn'd, nor cold, nor hot g ; 
A vessel sound //, a broken pot i : 
A rising sun k, a drooping wing / ; 
A flinty rock m 3 a flowing spring n, 

A rotten beam o, a virid stem^ •, 
A menstrous cloth q y a royal gem r ; 
A garden barr'd s, an open field j- ; 
A gilding stream /, a fountain seal'd u. 



g Hos. vii. 8. Ephraim, he hath mixed himself among the peo- 
ple. Ephraim is a cake not turned. Rev. iii. 15. I know thy 
works, that thou art neither cold nor hot ; I would thou wert cold 
or hot. 

h Rom. ix. 21. Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the 
same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dis- 
honour ? 

i Psalm xxxi. 12. I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind; 
I am like a broken vessel. 

k Matth. xiii. 43. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the 
sun, in the kingdom of their Father. 

/ Psalm lv. 6. And I said, O that I had wings like a dove ! for 
then would I fly away, and be at rest. 

m Zecti. vii. 12. They made their hearts, as an adamant stone, 
lest they should hear the law, and the words which the Lord of 
ho9ts hath sent in his Spirit, by the former prophets. 

n John iv. 13, 14. Jesus answered and said unto her — Whoso- 
ever drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall never thirst; 
nut the water that I shall give him, shall be in him a well of water, 
springing up unto everlasting life. 

o Isa. xvii. 9, 10. In that day shall his strong cities be as a forsa- 
ken bough, and an uppermost branch, which they left, because of 
the children of Israel : and there shall be desolation. Because thou 
hast forgotten the God of thy salvation, and hast not been mindful 
of the rock of thy strength ; therefore shalt thou plant pleasant 
plants, and shalt set it with strange slips. Chap, xxvii. 11. When 
the boughs thereof are withered, they shall be broken off; the 
•women came and set them on fire; for it is a people of no under- 
standing, &c. 

p Prov. xi. 28. The righteous shall flourish as a branch. Psalm 
xcii. 12, 13. The righteous shall flourish like the palm-tree; he 
shall grow like the cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in 
the house of the Lord, shall flourish in the house of our God. 

q Isa. xxx. 22. Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven 
images of silver, and the ornament of thy molten images of gold : 
thou shah cast them away as a menstrous cloth, shall say unto it, 
Get thee hence. Chap. Ixiv. 6. But we are all as an unclean thiag, 
and our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. 



Sect. IX. the believer's riddle. I9& 

Of various vegetables see 

A fair and lively map in me. 

A fragrant rose v> a noisome weed w ; 

A rotting x, yet immortal seed#, 

I'm with'ring grass z, and growing corn a ; 
A pleasant plant b, an irksome thorn c \ 
An empty vine d, a fruitful tree e \ 
An humble shrub/, a cedar high g. 

r Isa. Ixii. 3. Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of 
the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hands of thy God. 

s Song iv. 12. A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse* 

i Matt. xiii. 24, 25. Another parable he put forth unto them, 
saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sow- 
eth good seed in his field ; but while men slept, his enemy came 
and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. 

t Song iv. 5. (My sister is) a fountain of gardens, a well of liv- 
ing waters, and streams from Lebanon. 

«.Song iv. 12. A spring shut up, a fountain sealed, is my sister, 
my spouse. 

%) isa. xxxv. 1. The wilderness and the solitary place shall be 
glad for them ; and the desart shall rejoice and blossom as the rose* 

iv Isa. v, 4. What could have been done more to my vineyard, 
that I have not done in it ? wherefore, when I looked that it should 
bring forth grapes, it brought forth wild grapes. 

x Gen. iii. 19. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till 
thou return unto the ground ; for out of it wast thou taken ; for 
dust ihou art, and, unto dust thou shalt return. . 

y 1 Pet. i. 23. Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of 
incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for 
ever. 

%.Isa. xl. 7. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth ; because 
the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it ; surely the people is grass. 

a Hos. xiv. 7. They that dwell under his shadow shall return , 
they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine, the scent 
thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon. 

b Isa. v. 7. The vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of 
Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant. 

c Mic. vii. 4. The best of them is a brier; the most upright is 
sharper than a thorn-hedge. 

d Hos. x. 1. Israel is an empty vine, he bringeth forth fruit un- 
to himself. „ 

e Psalm i. 3, And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of • 
water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season ; his leaf also shall 
not wither, and whatsoever he doth shall prosper. 

/Ezek. xvii. 5, 6, He (a great eagle) took also of the seed ci 
the land, and planted it in a fruitful field, he placed it by great wa» 



196 GOSPEL sonnets. Part III. 

A noxious brier h y a harmless pine l'\ '-'} 
A sapless twig k y a bleeding vine / : * 
A stable fir tn, a pliant bush n \ 
A noble oak o } a naughty rush p. 

With sensitives I may compare, 
"While I their various nature share -, 
Their distinct names may justly suit 
A strange, a reasonable brute gr. 

ters, and set it as a willow-tree. And it grew, and became a spread" 
ing vine of low stature, whose branches turned toward fairn, and the 
roots thereof was turned toward him ; so it became a vine, and 
brought forth branches, and shot forth sprigs, ih 24. And all the 
trees of the field shall know that I the Lord have brought down the 
high tree, have exihtd the low tree, have dried up the green tree, 
and have made the dry tree to flourish ; I the Lord have spoken and 
have done it. Mark iv. 30, 31. And Jesus said,- Whereur.to shall ye 
liken the kingdom of God ? or, with what comparison shall we com- 
pare it ? It is like a grain of mustard-seed, which, when it is sown 
on the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth. 

g Psalm xcii. 12. The righteous shall grow like a cedar in Le- . 
banon. 

h Mic. vh*. 4. See letter c 

i. Isa. xii. 19- I will set in the degart the ffr-tree, and the pine, 
and the box tree together. 

k John xv. 4. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch can- 
not bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine ; no more can ye, 
except ye abide in me. v, 6. if a man abide not in me, he is cast 
forth as a branch, and is withered. 

I John xv. 5. I am the vine, ye are the branches : He that abid- 
eth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit ; for 
•without me ye can do nothing. Song ii. 13. The fig-tree putteth 
forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a, 
good smell. <v. 15. Take us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil 
the vines; for our vines have tender grapes. 

m Isa. Iv. 13. Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir-tree, and 
instead of the britr shall come up the myrtle- tree ; and it shall be to 
the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign trnt shall not be cut off. 
And lx. 13, The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir-tree, 
the pine-tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of my 
sanctuary, and I will make the place of my feet glorious. 

n Matth. xi. 7. And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto 
the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wil- 
derness ro see ? A reed shaken with the wind ? 

o Isa. vi. 13. But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return, 
and shall be eaten-, as a teil»tree ; and as an oak whose substance is 



Sect. IX. the believer's riddle. 197 

The sacred page my state describes, 
From volatile and reptile tribes-, 
From ugly vipers r, beauteous birds / 5 
From soaring hosts s, and swinish herds t, 

I'm rank'd with beasts of different kinds, 
With spiteful tygers •■//, loving hinds v •, 
And creatures of distinguished-, forms, 
With mounting eagles w> creeping worms <v. 

A mixture of each sort I am j 

A hurtful snake g, a harmless lamb z % 

in them when they C3st their leaves; so the holy seed shall be- the* 
substance thereof. 

p Isa. lviii. 5. Is it such a fast that I have chosen ? a day for a 
man to afflict his soul ? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, 
and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him ? wilt thou call this a 
fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord? 

q Psalm Ixxiii. 22. So foolish was I (Asaph,) and ignorant ; I was 
a beast before thee. Prov. xxx. 2, Surely I (Agur) am more bru- 
tish than any man, and have not the undei standing of a man. 

r Matth. iii. 7, But when John saw many of the Pharisees and 
Sadducees-come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of 
vipers, &c. 

/Song ii. 12. The time of the singing of birds is come, and the 
voice of the turtle is heard in our land. 

s Isa. Ix. 8. Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves 
to their windows ? 

t Matth. vii. 6. Give not that which is holy unto the dog3, nei- 
ther cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under 
their feet, and turn again and rent you. 2 Pet. ii 22, But it is hap- 
pened to them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned 
to his own vomit again ; and the sow that was washed, to her wal- 
lowing^in the mire. 

u Psalm xxii. 16, For dogs have compassed me, the assembly of 
the wicked have enclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet, 
Phil. iii. 3. Beware of dogs, beware of evil- workers, beware of the 
concisions 

«d Psalm xviii. 33. God maketh my feet like hinds' feet, and se*- 
teth me upon my high places. Prov. v. 19, Let her (the .wife of 
my youth) be as the loving hind, and pleasant roe ; let her breasts 
satisfy thee at all times, and be thou ravished always with her love.. 

nx) Isa. xl. 31,— They shall mount up with wings as eagles. 

x Psalm xxiL 6, But I am a v/orm, and no man. Isa. xli. 14, 
Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men pf Israel, &c 

y Psalm lviii. 4. Their poison is like the poison of a serpents 
they are like the deaf adder that stcppeth her ear, 

R3 



198 gospel sonnets; Part III 

A tardy ass a y a speedy roe b ; 
A lion bold c> a tim'rous doe d. 

A slothful owl e> a busy anty^ 
A dove to mourn g, a lark to chant h : 
'And with less equals to compare, 
An ugly toad /, an angel fair k. 

SECT. X. The mystery of the saints'* old and new man 
further defer ibed, and the means of their spiritual life. 

FinEmptations breed me much annoy a, 
-■■ Yet divers such I count all joy b. 

ss. lohn xxi. 15, So when tbey had dined, Jesus saith to Simon 
Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He 
saith unto him, Yea, Lord ; thou knowest that I love thee. He 
saith unto him, Feed my lambs. 

a Job xi. 12, Vain man would be wise, though man be born like 
a wild ass'9 colt. 

b Prov. vi. 5, Deliver thyself, ("my son) as a roe from the hand 
of the hunter. 

c Prov. xxviii. 1, The righteous are bold as a lion. 

d Isa. ii. 19, And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and 
into the caves of the earth, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory 
of his Majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. 

'e Psalm cii. 6, I am like an owl of the desart. 
f Prov. vi. 6, Go to the ant, thou sluggard, consider her ways 
-nd be wise, &c. 

g Isa. xxxviii. 14, Like a crane or a swallow, so did I chatter : I 
did mourn as a dove, mine eyes fail with looking upward ; O Lord, 
I am oppressed, undertake for me. Ezek. vii. 16, But they that 
escape of them (Israel,) shall escape, and shall be on the mountains 
like doves of she valleys, all of them mourning, every one for his 
iniquity. 

h Song ii. 12. The time of the singing of birds is come, and the 
voice of the turtle is heard in our land. 

i Rom. iii. 13. — The poison of asps is under their lips. Job xh 
4. Behold, I am vile, what shall I answer thee ! I will lay mine 
hand upon my mouth. 

k Acts vi. 15, And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly 
on him (Stephen,) saw his face as if it had been the face of an an- 
gel. 2 Cor. iii. 18, But we all with open face, beholding as in a 
glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image, from 
glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. 

a Heb. xii. 12, Now no chastening for the present seemetb to 



Sect. X. THE BELIEVER'S RIDDLE. 199 

On earth I see confusions reel c 3 

Yet wisdom ord'ring all things well d. 

I sleep* yet have a waking ear e ; 
I'm blind and deaf yet see and hear/^ 
Dumb, yet cry, Abba, Father, plain g 9 
Born only once, yet born again h. 

My heart's a mirror dim and bright /, 
A compound strange of day and night £, 

be joyous, but grievous, &c. 1 Pet. i. 6.* Wherein ye greatly re- 
joice, though now for a season, (if need be ) ye are in heaviness 
through manifold temptations. 

James I 2, My brethren, count it all joy when ye fail into di» 
vers temptations. 

c Psalm lxxxii. 5, They know not, neither will they understand; 
they walk on in darkness : all the foundations of the earth are out 
of course. 

d Psalm xxix. 10, The Lord sitteth upon the flood : yea, the 
Lord sitteth King for ever. And lxxxix. 9, Thou rulest the rag- 
ing of the sea ; when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them, 
Rom. *viii. 28. And we know that all things work together for 
good, to them that love God, to them who are the called acccrding 
to his purpose. 

e Song v. 2, I sleep, but my heart waketh ; it is the voice of my 
Beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me my sister, my love, my 
dove, my undefiled : for my head is filled with dew, and my locks 
with the drops of night. 

/Isa. xlii. 18, 19, Hear, ye deaf, and lo©k, ye blind, that ye may 
s*e. Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, as my messenger that 
I sent ? who is blind, as he that is perfect, and blind as the Lord's 
servant ? And xxxv. 5, Then the eyes of the blind shall be open- 
ed, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. 

g Isa. xxxv. 6, Then shall — the tongue of the dumb sing ; for 
in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desarc. 
Rom. viii. 15, For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again 
to fear ; but ye have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we 
cry, Abba, Father. 

h John iii. 2,-6, Jesus answered and said unto him, (Nicode- 
rnus,) Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, 
he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, 
How can a man be born when he is old ? can he enter the second 
time into his mother's womb and be born ? Jesus answered,Verily, 
verily, 1 say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the 
Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God, That which is 
born of the flesh, is flesh ; and that which is born of the Spirit, is 
spirit. 

i Lam. v« 17, For this^our heart is faint, for these things our 



200(201) gospel sonnets. Part IIL 

Of dung and di'monds, dross and gold / y 
Of summer heat, and winter cold tri. 

Down like a stone I sink and dive n y 
Yet daily upward soar and thrive o. 
To heav'n I fly, to earth I tend p % - 
Still better grow, yet never. mend q< 

eyes are dim. Isa. xxxii. 3, And the eyes of them that see shall 
not be dim, &c. 

k Zech. xiv. 7, But it shall be one day which shall be known to 
the Lord, not day, nor night \ but it shall come to pass, that at 
evening time it shall be light. 

/Mai. ii. 3, Behold, I will corrupt your seed, andspreaddungupon 
your faces, even the dung of your solemn feasts, and one shall take 
you away with it. Phil. iii. 8, Yea, doubtless and T count all things 
out loss, for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my 
Lord ; for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count 
them but dung that I may win Christ. Isa. Ixii. 3, Thou shaltalso 
be a crown of glory in the hand oi the Lord, and a royal diadem 
in the hand of thy God. Isa. i. 25, And I will turn my hand upon 
thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin. 
Job xxiii. 10,-God knoweth the way that I take; when he hath 
tried me, I shall come forth as goicL 

m Psalm xxxix. 3, My heart was hot within me, while I was null- 
ing the fire burned. Luke xxiv. 32, And they said one to another, 
Did not our hearts burn within us, while he talked with us by the 
way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? Mat. xxiv. 1.2, 
And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax 
cold. Rev. ii. 4, Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee, be- 
cause thou hast left thy first love. 

n Psalm xlii. 6, 7, O my God, my soul is cast down within me; 
therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the 
Hermonites, from the hill Mizar. Deep calleth unto deep, at the 
noise of thy water spouts ; all thy waves and thy billows are gone 
over me. 

o Psalm Xlii. 8, 9, Yet the Lord will command his loving-kind- 
ness in the day-time, and in the night his song shall be with me, 
and my prayer unto the God of my life. I will say unto God my 
rock, Why hast thou forgotten me ? Why go I mourning because of 
the oppression of the enemy ? <v. 11, Why art thou cast down, O 
my soul ? and why art thou disquieted within me ? hope thou in 
God, for I will yet praise him, who is the health of my counten- 
ance, and my God. 

p Col. iii. lj 2, If ye then be risen with Christ,,seek those things 
which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 
Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth. 
Psalm xjiv. 25, Our soul is bowed down to the dust; our belly 
cleaveth to the earth. 



Sect. X. THE believer's RIDDLE. (202) £03 

My heat'n and glory's sure to me, 
Though therefore seldom sure I be r ; 
Yet what makes me the surer is, 
God is my glory s % I am his s. 

My life's expos'd to open view /, 
Yet closely hid and known to few u. 
Some know my place, and whence I came, 
Yet neither whence, nor where I am v. 

q Hos. xiv. 5. I will be as the dew unto Ist*aei, he shall grow as 
the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon, v. 7, They that dwell 
under hi« shadow shall return, they shall revive as the corn, and 
grow as the vine ; the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Leba- 
non. Phil. iii. 12, 13, 14. Not as though I had already attained, 
either were already perfect ; but I follow after, if that I may ap- 
prehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Bre- 
thren, I count not myself to have apprehended ; but this one thing 

1 do, forgetting tho9e things vrhich are behind, and reaching forth 
unto those things which are before, I press towards the mark, for 
the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Rom. vii. 23, 
24. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law 
of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin, which 
is in my members. O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver 
me from the body of this death ? 

r John xiv. 2, 3. In my Father's house are many mansions; if it 
were not so, I would have told you : I go to prepare a place for 
you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, 
and receive you unto myself, that, where lam, there ye maybe al- 
so. 2 Pet. i. 10. Wherefore, the rather brethren, give all diligence 
to make your calling and election sure. Heb. iv. 1. Let us there- 
fore fear, lest a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any 
of you should seem to come short of it. 

/Psalm iii. 3. But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me : my glo- 
ry, and the lifter up of mine head. Isa. Ix. 19. The sun shall be no 
more thy light by day, neither for brightness shall the moon give 
light unto thee, but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, 
and thy God thy glory. 

s Isa. xlvi. 13. I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory, 

2 Cor. viii. 23. Whether do any enquire of Titus, he is my partner, 
and fellow-helper concerning you ; or our brethren be inquired of, 
they are the messengers of the churches, and the glory of Christ, 

t Psalm xliv. 13. Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, 
a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us. 

u Col. iii. 3. Your life is hid with Christ in God. 

o John iii. 9, 10. Nicodemus auswered and said unto him, How 
can these things be ? Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thflu a 



204 GOSPEL SONNETS. Part IU. 

I live in earth, which is not odd y 

But lo I also live in God w : 

A Spirit without flesh and blood* 

Yet with them both to yield me food .v. 

I leave what others live upon, 
Yet live I not on bread alone ; 
But food adapted to my mind, 
Bare words, yet not no empty wind y, 

I'm no Anthropophagite rude, 
Though fed with human flesh and blood ; 
But live superlatively fine, 
My food's all spirit, all divine z. 

If east on fulness night and day a, 
Yet pinch'd for want I pine away h> 

master of Israel, and knowest not these things ? Prov. xiv. 10. The 
heart knoweth his own bitterness; and a stranger doth not inter- 
meddle with his joy. 1 John iv. 16. And we have known and be- 
lieved the love that God hath to ns. God is love; and he that 
dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him. 

wGaL ii. 20. I am crucified with Christ: Nevertheless I live, 
yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in 
the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and 
gave himself for me. 

x John iv. 24. God is a Spirit, and they that worship him, must 
worship him in Spirit and in truth. And vi. 53,54, 55. Then said 
Jesus unto them, (the Jews), Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except 
ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no 
life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath 
eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh 
is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 

y Mat. iv. 4. But Jesus answered and said (unco the tempter,^ 
It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word 
that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Jer. xv. 16. Thy words 
were found, and I did eat them ; and thy word was unto me the 
joy and rejoicing of mine heart, for I am called by thy name, O 
JLord God of hosts. 

% John vi. 57, 58. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live 
by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. 
This is that bread which came down from heaven; not as youri*:- 
thers did eat manna, and are dead; he that eateth of this bread 
shall live lor ever. *u. 63. It is the Spirit that quickeneth, the flesh 
pronteth nothing ; the words that I speak unto you, they are spirts 
and they are life, 



beet. X v THE believer's riddle. 205 

My leanness, leanness, ah ! I cry c \ 
Yet fat and full of sap am I d. 

As all amphibious creatures do, 
Ilive in land and water too e : 
To good and evil equal bent^i 
I'm both a devil g and a saint h. 

While some men who on earth are godsz 
Are with the God of heaven at odds k } 



a Isa. xxv. 6, And in this mountain shall the Lord of hosts make 
unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wine on the lees, of 
fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined. Psalm 
i. 2. But his delight is in the-law of the Lord, and in his law doth 
he meditate day and night. 

b Isa. x!i. 17. When the poor and needy seek water, and there is 
none, and their tongue faileth for thirsty I the Lord will hear them, 
I the God of Israel will not forsake them. Psalm xl. 17. But I am 
poor and needy, yet the Lord thinketh upon me : thou art my help 
and my deliverer, make no tarrying, O my God. 

c Isa. xxiv, 16. From the uttermost parts of the earth have we 
heard scngs, even glory to the righteous; but I said, My leanness 
my leanness, wo untome ; the treacherous dealers have dealt treach- 
erously ; yea, the treacherousdealers have dealt very treacherously. 

d Psalm xcii. 13, 14. Those that be planted in the house of the 
Lord, shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still 
bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing. And 
civ. 16. The trees of the Lord are full of sap ; the cedars of Leba- 
non which he hath planted 

e Psalm cxvi. 9. 1 will walk before the Lord in the land of the 
living. And lxix. 1,2. Save me, O God, for the waters are come 
in unto my soul. I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing; 
I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. And 
lxxxviii. 17. Thy terrors come round about me daily like water, 
they compassed me about together. 

/Rom. vii. <21. I find then a law, that when I would do good 
evil is present with me. 

g John vi. 70. Jesus answered them, have not I chosen you 
twelve, and one of you is a devil ? And viii. 44. Ye are of your 
father the devil, and the lusts of your Father ye will do. James 
iii. 15. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, 
stnsual, devilish. 

b 1 Cor. vi. 11. And such were some of you; but ye are washed, 
but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord 
Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. 

i Psalm Ixxxii. 6. I have said, Ye are gods ; and all of you are 
children of the Most High. 

k Psal. Ixxxii. 1. 2. God standeth in the congregation of the 



206 N GOSPEL sonnets. Part III. 

My heart where hellish legions are /, 
Is with the hosts of hell at war m. 

- My will fulfils what's hard to tell. 
The counsel both of Heav'n n and hell o\ 
Heav'n, without sin, will'd sin to be p ; 
Yet will to sin, is sin in me q. 



mighty ; he judgeth among the gods. How long will ye judge un- 
justly, and accept the persons of the wicked ? Selah. v. 5. They 
know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in dark- 
ness ; all the foundations of the earth are out of course. 

/ Matth. xv. 19. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, 
murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false- witness, blasphemies. 
Luke viii. 30. And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name ? 
and he said, Legion; because many devils were entered into him. 

m Eph. vi. 12. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but 
against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the dark- 
ness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high place?. 

n Rev. xvii. 17. For God hath put into their hearts to fulfil his 
will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until 
the words of God shall be fulfilled. 

o Eph. ii. 3. Among whom also we all had our conversation in 
times past, in the lusts of our flesh, and of the mind ; and were by 
nature the children of wrath even as others. 

p James i. 13. Let no man say, when he is tempted, 1 am tempt- 
ed of God ; for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth 
he any man. Acts i. 15, 16. And in those days Peter stood up in 
the midst of the disciples, 3nd said, Men and brethren, this scrip- 
ture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost, by the 
mouth of David, spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to 
them that took Jesus, And ii. 23. Jesus of Nazareth being deliver- 
ed by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have 
taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain. And iv. 27, 
28. For of a truth, against thy holy child Jesus whom thou hast an- 
ointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the 
people of Israel, were gathered together, for to do whatsoever thy 
hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. 

q Hos. v. 11. Ephraim is oppressed, and br oken in judgment, be- 
cause he willingly walked after the commandment, 2 Cor. viii, 11, 
12. Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a 
readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that 
which you have : For if there be first a willing mind, it is accept- 
ed according to that a man hath, and not according to that he 
hath not. 



Sect. XL the believer's riddle. 20? 

To duty seldom I adhere r, 
Yet to the end I persevere s. 
I die and rot beneath the clod /, 
Yet live and reign as long as God t. 

SECT. XL The mystery efCHRTST> his nameSy mtures y 
and offices. 



TMfY Lord appears ; awake, my soul, 
-LtX Admire his name, the Wonderful erf 
An infinite and finite mind &, 
Eternity and time conjoin'd <;. 
« The everlasting Father' stil'd, 
Yet lately born, the virgin's child d. 



■ r Psalm cxix. 176. I have gone astray like a lost sheep, seek thy 
servant ; for 1 do not forget thy commandments. 

y*Heb. x. 39. But we are not of them who draw back unto per- 
dition ; but of them that believe, to the saving of the soul. 

s Psalm xc. 3. Thou turnest man to destruction, and say est, Re> 
turn, ye children of men. 

t John v. 24. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth 
my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, 
and shall not come into condemnation : but is passed from death 
unto life. Rev. iii. 21. To him that overcometh will I grant to 
sit with me on my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set 
down with my Father on his throne. And xxii. 5. And there shall 
be no night there, and they need no candle, neither light of the 
sun ; for the Lord giveth them light ; and they shall reign for ever 
and ever. 

a Isa. ix. 6. For unto us a child is bom, unto us a son is given, 
and the government shall be upon his shoulders ; and his name 
shall be called Wonderful. 

b Psalm cxlvii. 5. Great is our Lord, and of great power ; his 
understanding is infinite, Luke \\. 52. And Jesus increased in 
wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man. 

c Gal. iv. 4. But when the fulness of the time was come,. God 
sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law. 
P d Isa. ix. 6, For unto us a child is born--: and his name shall b^ 
called — The everlasting Father. Maci.li. i. 23. Behold, a virgin 
shall be with child, and shall bring forth a Son add they shall calj 
his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted* is, God wich us. 

s 



208 GOSPEL SONNETS. Part III. 

Nor father he, nor mother had, 
Yet full with both relations clad e. 

His titles differ and accord, 
As David's son, and David's Lord j. 
Through earth and hell he conqu'ring rode, 
The dying man, the rising God g ! 

My nature is corruption doom'd h : 
Yet when my nature he assum'd, 

t 

e Heb. vii. 3. For this Melchisedec— without father, withon 
mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor 
end of life ; but made like unto the Son of God, abideth a priest 
continually. Luke ii. 48, 49. And when they saw him they were 
amazed ; and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou so dealt 
with us ? behold, thy father and I have, sought thee sorrowing. 
And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me ? wist ye not 
that I must be about my Father's business ? 

/Matth. xxii. 41,-45. While the Pharisees were gathered to- 
gether, Jesus asked him, saying, What think ye of Christ ? whose 
son is he ? They said unto him, The Son of David. He saith uoto 
them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The 
Lord saith unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make 
thine enemies my footstool ? If David then call him. Lord, how is 
he his son, &c. 

g Matth. xxi. 5. Tell ye the daughters of Zion, Behold, thy 
King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt 
the foal of an ass. <v. 8, 9. And a very great multitude spread their 
garments in the way ; others cut down branches from the trees, 
and strewed them in the way. And the multitude that went before 
and that followed, cried, saying, Hosannah to the son of David: 
blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord, Hosannah in the 
highest, v. 12. And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast 
out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the 
tables of the money changers, and the seats of them that sold doves. 
Col. ii. 15. And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made 
a show of them openly, triumphing over them in itfhis cross.) Rom. 
iv. 25. Jesus our Lord was delivered for our offences, and was rais- 
ed again for our justification. Eph. iv. 8. Wherefore he (David) 
saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and 
gave gifts unto men. Rom. i. 4. Jesus Christ our Lord, was de- 
clared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit 
of holiness by the resurrection from the dead. 

b Eph, iv. 22. Put off, concerning the former conversation, the 
<o!d man which is corrupt, according to the deceitful lusts. 



Sect, XL the believer's riddle. 209 

He nor on him (to drink the brook) i 
My person nor corruption took k. 

Yet he assum'd my sin and guilt /, 
For which the noble blood was spilt. 
Great was the guilt-o'erflowing flood, 
The creature's and Creator's blood m 5 

The Chief of chiefs amazing came n y 
To bear the glory and the shame 0. j 

i Psalm ex. 7. He shall drink of the brook in the W3y ; there- 
fore shall he lift up the head. 

k Rom. viii. 3. God sent his own Son, in the likeness of sinful 
flesh, and for sin condemned sin in the flesh. John i. 14. And the 
Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glo- 
ry, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father) full of grace 
and truth. Luke i. 35. And the angel answered and said unto 
Mary, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the 
Highest shall overshadow thee ; therefore also that holy ihing 
which shall be born of thee, shall be called the Son of God. Ueb. 
ii. 16. For verily, he took not on him the nature of angels \ but he 
took on him the seed of Abraham. And vii. 26, 27. For such an 
High Priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separaie 
from sinners, and made higher than the heavens ; who needeth not 
daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own 
sins, and then for the people's; for this he did once, when he 
offered up himself. 

/ Isa. Kii. 5, 6. All we like sheep have gone astray ; we have 
turned every one to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on him 
the iniquity of us all. 2 Cor. v. 21. God hath made Christ to be 
sin for us, who knew no sin ; that we might be made the righte- 
ousness of God in him. Matth. xx. 28. The son of man came to 
give his life a ransom for many. 

m Rom. iii. 25. Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation, 
through faith in his blood, to declare hisrighteousness for the remis- 
sion of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God. Acts 
xx. 28. Feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his 
own blood. 1 Pet. i. 18, 19. For as much as ye know that ye were 
Hot redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your 
vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers ; but with 
the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and 
without spot. 1 John iii. 16. Hereby perceive we the love of God 
because he laid down his life for us. 

n Rev i. 4, 5. Grace be unto you, and peace from — Jesus Christ, 
who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, ancf 
the prince of the kings of the earth. 

o Zech. vi. 12, 13. Behold, the man whose name is th* 



210 gospel sockets. Part IIL 

Anointed Chief with oil of joy p f 
Crown'd Chief with thorns of sharp annoy j* 

Lo, in his white and ruddy face 
Roses and lilies strive for place ** ; 
The morning-star, the rising sun, 
With equal speed and splendor ron ft 

How glorious is the church's head, 
The Son of God, the woman's seed s ; 
JHow searchless is his noble clan t, 
The first, the last, the second man u \ 

BRANCH— he shall build the temple of the Lord, aad he shall 
bear the glory. Heb. xii. 2. Jesus, for the joy that was set. be- 
fore him, endured the cross, despising the shame, &c. 

p Psalm xlv. 7. Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wicked- 
ness, therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil oi 
gladness above thy fellow?. 

q Mat. xxvii. 29. And when they had platted a crown of thorns, 
they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand ; and they 
bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King 
of the Jews. 

r Song ii. 1. I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys, 
And v. 10. My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among 
ten thousand. 

/Rev. xxii. 16. I (Jesus) am the root and the offspring of Da- 
vid, and the bright and morning star. Mai. iv. 2. But unto you 
that fear my name, shall the Sun of righteousness arise with heal- 
ing in his wings ; and ye shall go forth, and grow up, as calves 
of the stall. 

s Col. i. IS. And Christ is the head of the body, the church; 
who is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; that in all 
things he might have the pre-eminence. John iii. 16. God so lov- 
ed the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever 
believsth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life. Gen. 
iii. 15. And 1 (the Lord God) will put enmity between thee and 
the woman, and between thy seed and her seed ; it shall bruise thy 
head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. 

t Isa. liii. 8. He was taken from prison and from judgment : and 
who shall declare his generation ? Prov. xxx. 4. Who hath ascend- 
ed up into heaven, or descended ? who hath gathered the wind in 
his fists ? who hath bound the waters in a garment ? who hath es- 
tablished all the ends of the earth ? what is his name, and what 13 
his Son's name, if thou canst tell ? 

u P-cv. v 2. I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last. 1 
Cor. xv. 45. The last Adam was made a quickening spirit, v. 47. 
The second man- is thje Lord from heaven. 



SecUXI. THE^ BELIEVER'S RIDDLE. 211 

With equal brightness in his face, 
Shines divine justice, divine grace v \ 
The jarring glories kindly meet, 
Stern vengeance and compassion sweet w. 

God is a Spirit, seems it odd 
To sing aloud the blood of God x ?■ 
Yea, hence my peace and joy result, 
And here my lasting hope is built y. 

Love through his blood a vent has sought, 
Yet divine love was never bought : 
Mercy could never purchas'd be, 
Yet ev'ry mercy purchas'd he z* 

v 2 Cor. iv. 6. For God, who commanded'the light to shine out 
of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, togive the light of the know- 
ledge of the glory of God, in the face of Jesus Christ. Rom. iii. 24. 
25, 26. Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption 
that is in Jesus Christ : whom God hath set forth to be a propitia- 
tion, through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the 
remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to 
declare, I say, at this time hii righteousness ; that he might be just, 
and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Eph. i. 6, .7. Ta 
the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accept-. 
ed in the beloved : in whom we have redemption through his 
blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace. 

nv Rom. v. 20/21. But where sin abounded, grace did much 
more abound : that as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might 
grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ 
our Lord. Psalm lxxxv. 10. Mercy and truth are met together, 
righteousness and peace have kissed each other. 

x John iv. 24. God is a Spirit, and they that worship him, must* 
worship him in spirit and in truth. Acts xx. 28. Feed the church, 
of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. 

y Rom. v. 1. Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace 
with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ. *o. 10. For if when we 
were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son ; 
much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. 1 Pet. 
iii. 15. Be ready always to give an answer to every man that ask- 
eth you a reason of the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear. 
«y. 18. For Christ hath also once suffered for sins> the just for the 
unjust, (that he might bring Us to God), being put to death in the 
flesh, but quickened by the Spirit. 

% Rom. v. 9. Much more then being now justified by his blood, 
we shall be slaved from wrath through him. *. SI, See letter ii\ 
S3 



-12 GOSPEL sonkets. Part HI. 

His triple station broke my peace, 
The Altar, Priest, and sacrifice a \ 
His triple office ev'ry thing, 
My Priest my Prophet is, and King b. 

This King, who only man became, 
Is both the Lion and the Lamb c : 
A King of kings and kingdoms broad d ; 
A servant both to man and God e. 



John iii. IS. God so loved the world, that he gave his only begot- 
ten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but 
have everlasting life. Rom. ix. 15. God saith to Moses, I will have 
mercy on whom 1 will have mercy, and I will have compassion on 
wkom I will have compassion. Eph. i. 3. Blessed be the God and 
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spi- 
ritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. 

a Heb. xiii. 10. We have an altar whereof they have no 
right to eat, which serve the tabernacle. And ii. 17. Whereftwre 
In all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren ; 
that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest, in things per- 
taining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people, 
And ix. 26. But now, once in the end of the world, hath Christ 
appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 

b Acts vii. 37. This is tlut Moses which said unto the children 
of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of 
your brethren, like unto me ; hiw shall ye hear. Isa. xxxiii. 22. 
The Lord is eur Judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord k our 
King, he will save us. 

c 1 Tim. iii. 16. And without controversy, great is the n\ystery 
of Godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, &c. Rev. v. 5, 6. 
And one of the elders said unto me (John), Weep not: behold, 
the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, hath prevailed to 
open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. And I beheld, 
and lo, in the midst of the throne, and of the four beasts, and in the 
midst of the elders stood a Lamb as it had been siain, having seven 
horn*, and seven eye^, which ar« the seven Spirits of God sent forth 
into all the earth. *v. 12. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to 
receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, 
and glory, and blessing. 

d Rev! xix. 16. And he (the Word of God J hath on his vesture 
and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD 
OF LORDS. Isa. xxxvii. 15, 16. And Hezekiah prayed unto the 
Lord, saying, O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, that dwellest between 
the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the king- 
c«ms of the earthj thou hast made heaven and earth. Rev. xi. 15, 



Sect. XII. the believer's riddle, 213 

This Prophet kind himself has set 
To be my book and, alphabet, 
And ev'ry needful letter plain, 
Alpha, Omega, and Amenfi 



SECT. XII. The mystery of the Believers fixed state 
further enlarged ; and his getting forth out of evil. 

BEHOLD, I'm all defil'd with sin a, 
Yet lo, all glorious am within /?. 
In Egypt and in Goshen dwell c. ; 
Still moveless, and in motion stiil d. 



And the seventh angel sounded, v and there were great voices ki 
heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are hecome the king- 
doms of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and. 
ever. 

c Matth. xv. 28. The Son of man came not to be ministered un. 
to, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. Phil, 
ii. 7, Christ Jesus ma.'e himself of no reputatiou, and took upon 
him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. 
Isa. xlii. 1. Behold my servant whom I uphold, mine elect, in 
whom my soul delighteth. And liii. 11. By his knowledge shall 
iny servant justify many. 

/"Rev. i. 3. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the 
ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to 
come, the Almighty. *v. 14. I am Alpha and Omega, the first and 
the last ; and, What thou (John ) seest, write in a book, and send 
it unto the seven churches which are in Asia. And xxi. 6. 1 am 
Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end : I will give unto 
him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. And 
xxii. 13. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning ahd the end, t$fe^ 
first and the last. And iii. 14. And unto the angel of the churcfi 
of the Laodiceans, write, These things saith the Amen, the faith- 
ful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God, &c. 

a Isa. lxiv. 6. But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our 
righteousnesses are as filthy rags. 

b Psalm xlv. 13. The King's daughter is all glorious within ; 
her clothing is of wrought gold. 

c Psalm cxx. 5, 6. Woe is me that I sojourn in Mesech, that I 
dwell in the tents of Kedar. My soul hath long dwelt with him 
that hateth peace. And xvi. 5, 6. The Lord is the portion of mine 
inheritance} and of my cup ; thou xuai&tainest my lot. The line's 



2U gospel sonnets. Part IIL 

Unto the name that most I dread, 
I flee with joyful wings and speed ^ 
My daily hope does most depend 
On him I daily most oftend/. 

All things against me are combin'd, 
Yet working for my good, I find g % 
I'm rich in midst of poverties h % 
Arid happy in my miseries u 

Oft my Comforter sends me grief, 
My Helper sends me no relief k 



are fallen to me in pleasant places : yea, I have a goodly heritage.- 

d 1 Cor. xv. 58. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, 
immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch 
as you knowc hat your labour is not in vain in the Lord. 

e Psalm cxliii. 2. O Lord, enter not into judgment with thy ser- 
vant : for in thy sight shall no man living be justifi d. <v. 9. De- 
liver me, O Lord, from mine enemies : 1 flee unto thee to hide me. 

f Psalm xxv. 11. For thy name's sake, O Lord, pardon mineini- 
liijty ; for it is great. Jer. xiv. 7. O Lord, though our iniquities 
testify against us, do thou it for thy name's sake; for ourbackslid- 
ings are rainy, we have sinned against thee. 

gGtn xlii. 36. And Jacob their father s^id unto them, Me have 
ye bereaved of my children : Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and 
ye will take Benjamin away : all these things are against me : 
Rom. viii. 28. And we know that all thiugs work together for 
good to them that love God, to them who are the called according 
to his purpose. 

b Rev. ii. 8, 9. And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna, 
write, These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, 
and is alive; I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but 
thou art rich* J 

f Rom. v. 3, 4, 5. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations 
also r knowing, that tribulation worketh patience ; and patience, 
experience ; and experience, hope; and hope maketh not asham- 
ed, necau=e the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts, by the 
Holy Ghost which is given unto us. 2 Cor. xii. 10. Therefore I 
(Paul) take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in 
persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake ; for when I am weak, 
then am 1 strong. 

k Lam. i. 16. For these things I weep, mine eye, mine eye run- 
neth down with water, because the comforter, that should relieve 
my soul, is far from me. Isa. xlv. 15. Verily thou art a God that 
Widest thyself, O God of Israel the Saviour, 



Sect, XII. THE BELIEVER^ RIDDLE. 2U 

Yet herein my advantage lies, 
The help and comfort he denies /, 

As seams ters into pieces cut 
The cloth they into form would put, 
He cuts me down to make me up, 
And empties me to fill my cup m. 

I never can myself enjoy, 
Till he my woful self destroy ; 
And most of all myself I am, 
When most I do myself disclaim n. 

I glory in infirmities a 3 

Yet daily am asham'd of these p ; 

/ Isa. xxx. IS. And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may 
be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he r%y 
have mercy upon you; for the Lord is a God of judgment; blessed 
are all they that wait for him. 

m Hos. v. 15. I will go and return to my place, till they ac- 
knowledge their offence, and seek my face ; in their affliction they 
will seek me early. And vi. 1 , 2. Come and let us return unto the 
Lord; for he hath torn, and he will heal us: he hath smitten, and 
he will bind us up. After two days he will revive us, in the third 
day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. Psalm cvii. 
9. God satisfieth the longing soul, and filleih the hungry soul with 
goodness. Luke i. 53. And Mary said, — He hath filled the hun- 
gry with good things, and the rich he hath sent empty away. 

?i Luke ix. 23, 24. And Jesus said to them, If any man will 
come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily 
and follow me. For whosoever will save his life, shall )ose it: but 
whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. 
Rom. viii. 13. If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die; but if ye 
through the spirit, do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live, 
2 Cor. xii. 10. Seeietter /. 

o 2 Cor. xii. 9. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my 
infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 

p Psalm lxxiii. 15, 16. If I say, I will speak thus; behold, ! 
should offend against the generation of thy children. When I 
thought to know this, it was too painful forme. And lxxviL 
S, 9, 10, Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail 
for evermore? hath God forgotten to be gracious ? hath he in an- 
ger shut up his tender mercies ? Selah. And I said, This is my in- 
firmity ; but I will remember the years of the right hand of the 
Most High. 



226 GOSPEL sonnets. Part lit 

Yea, all my pride gives up the ghost, 
When once I but begin to boast q. 

My chemistry is most exact, 
Heav'n out of hell I do extract r. 
This art to me a tribute brings 
Of useful out of hurtful things jr. 

I learn to draw well out of woe, 
And thus to disappoint the foe s ; 
The thorns that in my flesh abide, 
Do prick the tympany of pride U 

By wounding foils the field I win, 
And sin itself destroys my sin u: 

q Isa,. xlv. 24, 25. Surely* shall one say, In the Lord have I righ- 
teousness and strength : even to him shall men come, and all that 
are incensed against him, shall be ashamed. In the Lord shall aH 
the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory. Psalm xliv. 6. I 
will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me. y % S. 
In God we boast all the day long ; and praise thy name for ever. 
Selah. 

r Jonah ii. 1, 2. Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out 
of the fish's belly, and said, I cried, by reason of mine affliction 
unto the Lord, and he heard me ; out of the belly of hell cried I, 
and thou heardst my voice. <v. 3. Then I said, I am cast out of thy 
sight ; yet I will look again towsrd thy holy temple. Matth. xv, 
26, 27, 28. But Jesus answered and said (unto the woman of Ca- 
naan), It is not meet to take the children's bread, and cast it to 
dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord ; yet the dogs eat of the crumbs 
which fall from their master's table. Then Jesus answered and said 
unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thoa 
wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour. 
Psalm xlii. 6, 7, 8. O my God, my soul is cast down within me: 
therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the 
Hermonites, from the hill Mizar. Deep calleth unto deep, at the 
noise of thy water spouts : all thy waves and thy billows are gone 
over me. Yet the Lord will command his loving-kindness in the 
day-time, and in the night his song shall be with me, aud my pray- 
er unto the God of my life. 

/ Rom. v. 3, 4, 5. See letter i. 

s Mic. vii. 4. Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I 
fall, I shall arise ; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a lighs 
unto me. 

t 2 Cor. xii. 7. And lest I should be exalted above measure, 
through the abundance of the revelations, there was given t© 



Sect. XII. THE BELIEVER'S RIDDLE. 217 

My lusts break rove another's pate, 
And each corruption kills its mate v. 

I smell the bait, I feel the harm 

Of corrupt ways, and take th' alarm ; 

1 taste the bitterness of sin, 

And then to relish grace begin su. 

tne a thorp in the fiesh, the messenger of Satan to bufftt me, lest I 
should be exalted above measure. 

u Rom. viii. S5, 37. Who shall separate us from the love of 
Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or 
nakedness, or peril, or sword ? Nay, in all these things we are more 
than conquerors, through him that loved us. Psalm <xv. 3. Ini- 
quities prevail -against me; as for our transgression*, thou shalt 
purge them away. 2 Chror. xxxii. 24, 25, 26. In those days He- 
zekiah was sick to death, and prayed unto the Lord ; and he spake 
unto him, and he gave him a sign. But Heztkiah rendered not a- 
gain according to the benefit done unto him ; for his heart was 
lifted up: therefore there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah 
and Jerusalam. Notwithstanding, Hezekiah humbled himself for 
the pride of his heart, (both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem), 
so that the wrath of the Lord came not upon them in the days of 
Hezekiah. 

« Rom. vii. 7, 8, 9. What shall we say then ? Is the law sin ? 
God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin but by the law. for I had 
not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. 
But sin taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all 
manner of concupiscence. For without the law, sin was dead. F^r 
I was alive without the law once; but when the commandment 
came, sin revived, and I died. v. 11, For sin, taking occasion by 
the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me. i>. 13, Was 
then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But 
sin that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is 
good ; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding 
sinful. Where you see the sight and feeing of sin, killed self 
John ix. 39, 40,41. And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into 
this world ; that they which see not, might see ; and that they 
which see, might be made blind. And some of the Pharisees which 
were with hira, heard these words, and said unto him, Are we 
blind also ? Jesus said unto them, If ye were ljlind ye should have 
no sin : but now ye say, We see ; therefore your sin remaineth. 
Psalm lix. 11. Slay them not, lest my people forget; scatter them 
by thy power ; and bring them down, O Lord, our shield. Matt. 
xxvi. 33, 34. Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men 
shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended. Je- 
sus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, that this night, before the 
cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. */. 75. And Peter reraera- 



218 GOSPEL SONNETS. Part III. 

I hear the fools profanely talk, 
Thence wisdom learn in word and walk * i 
I see them throng the passage broad, 
And learn to take the narrow road^y. 



SECT. XIII. The mystery of the Saints 1 adversaries and 
adversities. 

A LUMP of woe affliction is, 
-^- Yet thence I borrow lumps of bliss a : 

bered the words of Jesus which he said unto him, Before the cock 
crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept 
bitterly. 

rjj Rom vi. 21. What fruit had ye then in those things, where- 
of ye are now ashamed ? for the end of those things is death. 
Pialm xix, 11. Moreover, by them (the judgments of the Lord) 
is thy servant warned : and in keeping of them there is great re- 
ward. And lxxiii. 17, 18, 19. Until I went into the sanctuary of 
God : then understood I their end. Surely thou didst set them in 
slippery places ; thou castedst them down into destruction. How 
are they brought into desolation as in a moment ; they are utter- 
ly consumed with terrors. Jer. ii. 19. Thine own wickedness shall 
correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee ; know there- 
fore and see, that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast for- 
saken the Lord thy God, and that my fear is not in thee,saith the 
Lord God of hosts. 

x Job xxi. 13, 14, 15. They spend their days in wealth, and in 
si moment go down to the grave. Therefore they say unto God, 
Depart from us ; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. 
What is the Almighty, that we should serve him ? and what pro- 
fit should we have if we pray unto him ? Eph. iv. 20, 21 <22. Bui 
ye have not so learned Christ; ifso be that ye have heard h;m,and 
Veen taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus; that ye put off, con- 
cerning the former conversation, the old man, which is corrupt, 
according to the deceitful lusts. And v. 6, 7, &. Let no mr.n de- 
ceive you with vain words; for because of these things ccmeth the 
wrath of God upon the children of disobedience* Be not ye there- 
fore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but 
now are ye light in the Lord; walk as children of light, v. 11. 
and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but 
rather reprove them, 

y Matth. vii. 13, 14. Enter ye in at the strait gate; for wide is 
the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and 
many there be which go in thereat ; because strait is the gate, and 
narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that 
End it. 



Sea. XIII. itfE believer's sudble. 219 

Though few can see a blessing in't, 
It is my furnace and my mint b. 

Its sharpness does my lusts dispatch r; 

Its suddenness alarms my watch d, 

Its bitterness refines my taste, 

And weans me from the creature's breast e, 

Its weightiness does try my back, 
That faith and patience be not slack f. 
It is a fanning wind whereby 
I am unchaff'd of vanity g. 

A furnace to refine my grace h> 
A wind to lift my soul apace i ; 
Hence still the more I sob distrest, 
The more I sing my endless rest k. 



a Heb. xii. 11. Now no chastening for the present seemeth i« 
fee joyous, but grievous ; nevertheless, afterward it yieldeth the 
peaceable fruit of righteousness, unto them which are exercised 
thereby. James i. 12. Blessed is the man that endureth tempta- 
tion : for when he is tried he shall receive the crown of life, which 
the Lord hath promised to them that love him. 

b Isa. xxxi. 9. And he (the Assyrian) shall pass over to his strong 
hold for fear, and his princes shall be afraid of the ensign, saich 
the Lord, whose fire is in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem. 

c Psalm xlv. 5. Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the 
king's enemies ; whereby the people fall under thee. 

d Mark xiii. 35, 36, 37. Watch ye therefore, (for ye know not 
when the master of the house cometh : at even, or at midnight, on 
at the cock-crowing, or in the morning,) lest coming suddenly, he 
find you sleeping. And what I say unto you, I say unto all, Watch. 

■e Jer. ii. 19. See letter «t> forecited. And iv. 18. Thy way and 
thy doings have procured these things unto thee, this is thy wick- 
edness, because it is bitter, because it reacheth unto thine heart. 

/James 1, 2, 3, 4. My brethren, count it all joy when y*fall 
into divers temptations ; knowing this, that the trying of yeur 
faith worlceth patience. But let patience have her perfect work, 
that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. 

g Isa. xxvii. 8, 9. In measure when it shooteth forth, thoti wilt 
debate with it ; he stayeth his rough wind in the day of his east 
wind. By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged* 
and this is all the fruit to take away his sin. 

b Mai. iii. 3. And he (the messenger of the covenant) shall «t 

T 



2S0 gospel sonnets. Part III. 

Mine enemies that seek my hurt, - 
Of all their bad designs come short / ; 
They serve me fully to my mind, 
With favours which they ne'er design'd m„ 

The fury of my foes makes me 
Fast to my peaceful refuge flee n : 
And ev'ry persecuting elf 
Does make me understand myself o. 

Their slanders cannot work my shame p^ 
Their vile reproaches raise my name q ; 

as a refiner and purifier of silver ; and he shall purify the sons oi 
JLevi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer un- 
to the Lord an offering in righteousness. 

i Psalm cxliii. 9, Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies : I flee 
unto thee to hide me. 

k 2 Gor. iv. 16. 17, For which cause we faint not, but tho* our 
outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. 
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for 
us a far more exceeding, and eternal weight of glory. 

/ Psalm xxxiii. 10, The Lord bringeth the counsel of the hea- 
then to nought : he maketh the devices of the people of none ef- 
fect. 

m Gen. 1. 20. And Joseph said unto his brethren, — As for you, 
ye thought evil against me ; but God meant it unto good, to bring 
to pass, as it h this day, to save much people alive. 

n Psalm lv. 23. But thou, O God, shall bring them down into 
the pit of destruction ; bloody and deceitful men shall not live out 
half their days ; but I will trust in thee. 

o My sin, Isa. xlii. 24, Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to 
the robbers ? did not the Lord, he against whom we haye sinned ? 
for they would not walk in his ways, neither were they obedient 
unto his law. My duty > 2 Sam. xvi. 11, 12, And David said to 
Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold my son which came forth 
of my bowels, seeketh my life; how much more now may this 
Benjaminte do it; let him alone, and let him curse : for the Lord 
hath bidden him. It may be that the Lord will look on mine af- 
fliction, and that the Lord will requite me goocl for his cursing 
this day. Mic. vii. 8, 9, Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy : 
when I fall I shall arise : when \ sit in darkness, the Lord shall be 
a light unto me. I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because 
I have sinned ag**nst him, until he plead my cause, and execute 
judgment for me ; he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall 
behold his righteousness. Myfafety, Psalm ix. 9, 10. The Lord 
also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. 
And tbey that know thy name, will put their trust in thee. z>. 



Sect. XIIL THE believer's riddle. 22\ 

In peace with Heav'n my soul can dwell, 
Ev'n when they damn me down to hell r. 

Their fury can't the treaty harm^ 
Their passion does my pity warm s ; 
Their* madness oaly calms my blood / ; 
By doing hurt they do my good u. 

They are my sordid slaves I wot j 

My drudges, though they know it not u : 



16, The Lord is known by the judgment which he executeth : 
the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion 
Selah. 

p Psalm xxvi. 13, 14, For I have he*rd the slander of many, 
fear was on every side, while they took counsel together against 
me, they devised to take away my life. But I trusted in thee, O 
Lord ; I said, Thou art my God. 

q 1 Pet. iv. 14, If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, 
happy are ye ; for the Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you ; 
on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. 

r Numb, xxiii. 7, 8, And Balaam took up his parable and said, 
Balaak the kiRg of Moab hath brought pie from Aram, out of the 
mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse me Jacob, and come 
defy Israel. How shall I curse whom God hath net cursed ? or 
how shall I defy whom the Lord hath not defied ? v. 23. Surely 
there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divi- 
nation against Israel : according to this time it shall be said of Ja- 
cob, and of Israel, What hath*God wrought ? 

y^Prov. xxvi. 2, As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by 
flying, so the curse causeless shall not come. 

j- 1 Pet. iii. 8, 9, Finally, be ye all of one mind, having com- 
passion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous ; 
not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing; but contrariwise, 
blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should 
inherit a blessing. 

t Psalm lxix. 12, 13, They that sit in the gate speak against 
me : and 1 was the song of the drunkards. But as for me, my 
prayer is unto thee, O Lord, in an acceptable time : O God, in the 
multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation. 

u Gen. 1. 20, See letter m forecited. Esther ix. 20, — 25, And 
Mordecai wrote these things, and sent letters unto all the Jews 
that were in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, both nigh 
and far, to stablish this among them, that they should keep the 
fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the 
same yearly ; as the days wherein the Jews rested from their ene- 



222 COMPEL 96NKKS. Part III, 

They act to me a kindly part, 
With little kindness in their heart w. 

They sweep my outer-house when fdul, 
Yea, wash my inner filth of soul # : 

mies, and the month which was turned unto them from sorrow t* 
joy,. and from mourning into a good day \ that they should make 
them days of feasting and joy, and of sending portions one to ano- 
ther, and gifts to the poor. And the Jews undertook to do as they 
had begun, and as Mordecai had written unto them. Because Ha- 
man the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of all the 
Jews, had devised against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast 
Pur. (that is the lot) to consume them, and to destroy them; hut 
when Esther came before the king, he commanded by letters, that 
Lis wicked device which he devised again?* t\?e Jews, should re- 
turn upon his own head, and that he and his soiu should be hasg- 
ed Oil the gallows. 

v 1st. ik-7. 8, 9. Therefore thus saith the Lord «f hosts, Because 
ye have not heard my words, behold I will send and take all the 
families of the north, saith the Lord, and Nebuchadnezzar the 
king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, 
and against the inhabitants thereof and against all these .nations 
loun^ about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an as- 
tonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations. <y. 12, And 
it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that 
I will punish the king of Babylon and that sation, saith the Lord, 
fbr their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it 
perpetual desolations. Isa. x. 5, 6, O Assyrian, the rod of mine 
dfger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation. I will 
send him against an hypocritical nation ; and against the people of 
my wrath will T give him a charge to take the spoil, and to take 
the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. — 
w 1-, Wherefore it shall come to pass, that when the Lord hath 
performed his whole work upon mount Zion, and on Jerusalem, 
I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, 
and the glory of his high looks. And xliv. 24, 98, Thus saith the 
Lord thy Redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I 
am the Lord — that saith of Cyrus, he is my shepherd, and shall 
perform all my pleasure, even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be 
built; and to the temple, Thy foundations shall be laid. And 
xlv. 1, Thus saith the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right 
hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him ; and I will 
loose the loins of kings to open before him the two-leaved gates, 
and the gates shall not be shut. *v. 4, For Jacob my servants 
sake, and Israel mine elect, 1 have even called thee by thy name ; 
I have sirnamed thee, though thou hast not known me. 

w Matth. v. 10. 11, 1*2. Blessed are they which are persecuted 



Sect. XIV. THE believer's riddle. 223 

They help to purge away my blot, 
For Moab is my washing pot y, 

SECT. XIV. — The mystery of the Believer's pardon 
and security from revenging <wrath> notwithstanding 
his sins'' desert. 

"I" Though from condemnation free, 
-*• Find such condemnables in me, 
As make more heavy wrath my due 
Than falls on all the damned crew a. 

But though my crimes deserve the pit, 
I'm no more liable to it : 
Remission seai'd with blood and death, 
Secures" me from deserved wrath b. 



for righteousness sake ; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Bles- 
sed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall 
say all manner or evii against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice, 
and be exceeding giad : for great is your reward in heaven ; for 
so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. Luke 
vi. 22, 23, Blessed are y'e when men shall hate you, and when 
they shaii separate you from their company, and shall reproach 
you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. — 
Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy ; for behold your reward 
is great in heaven; for in the like manner did their fathers unto 
the prophets. 

x Ita.'iv. 3, 4, 5, And it shall come to pass, that he th'at is left 
in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, 
even every ona that is written among the living in Jerusalem; 
when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters 
of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the 
midst thereof, by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burn- 
ing. And the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of 
mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, 
and the shining of a flaming fire by night ; for upon all the glory 
shall be a defence. And xxvii. 9. By this therefore shall the ini- 
quity of Jacob be purged, and this is alHhe fruit to take away his 
sin; when he'maketh all the stones of the altar as chalk stones that 
are beaten in sunder, the groves and images shall not stand up. 

y Psalm lxviii. 8, Moab is my wash pot, &c. 

a Rom. viii 1. There is therefore now no condemnation totherh 
which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after 
T 3 



224? GOSPEL SONNETS. Part III. 

And having now a pardon free, 
To hell obnoxious cannot be, 
Nor to a threat, except # anent # aboyt. 

JPaternal wrath and chastisement c. 

My soul may oft be fiil'd indeed 
With slavish fear and hellish dread d y 
This from my unbelief does spring e 9 
Jvly Faith speaks out some better thing. 

Taith sees no legal guilt again, 
Though sin and its desert remain^; 
Some hidden wonders hence result : 
I'm full of sin, yet free of guilt g. 

the Spirit. And vii. 18, For I know that in me, (that is, in my 
flesh) dwelleth no good thing ; for to will is present with me, hift 
liow to perform that which is good, I find uot. 1 Tim. i. 15, 16, 
This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ 
Jesus came into the world to save sinners ; of w!*om I am the chief. 
tTowfeeit, for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first, Jesus 
Christ might shew forth all long suffering, for a pattern to them 
•which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting. 

b Gal. iii. 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the 
law, being made a curse for us ; for it is written, Cursed is every 
oxi« that hangeth on a tree* Rom. v. 9. Much more then being 
»ow justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through 
him. Eph. i. 7. In whom we have redemption through his 
blood, the forgiveness of sins, recording to the riches of his grace. 

c i Thess. i. 10, And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom 
he raised from the dead, even Jesus which delivered us from the 
wrath to come. Isa. liv. -9, 10. For this is as the waters of Noah 
onto me ; for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no 
more go over the earth ; so have I sworn that I would not be 
wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee. For the mountains shall de- 
part, and the hills be removed ; but my kindness shall not depart 
from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, 
faith the Lord, that hath mercy on thee. Psalm Ixxxix. 30,-33, 
}f his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments ; if 
they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments; then 
will 1 visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity wfth, 
wipes. Nevertheless, my loving-kindness will I not utterly take 
from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail 

d Matth. xi*. 2€. And when the disciples s*w Jesus walking 
•n the sea, they were troubled, saying, It j* a spirit ; and they 
•ried p«t for fear, 



Sect. XIV. the believer's riddle. 22s 

Guilt is the legal bond or knot, 

That binds to wrath and vengeance hQt // j 

But sin may be where guilt's away, 

And guilt where sin can never stay. 

Guilt without any sin has been, 

As in my surety may be seen ; 

The elect's guilt upon him came, 

Yet still he was the holy Lamb /. 

Sin without guilt may likewise be, 

As may appear in pardon'd me : 

For though my sin, alas ! does stay, 

Yet pardon takes the guilt away k : 

Thus free I am, yet still involv'd ; 

A guilty sinner, yet absolv'd / : 

Though pardon leave no guilt behind, 

Yet sin's desert remains I find m. 



e Mark iv. 40, And Jesus said unto his disciples, Why are ye 
so fearful ? how is it that you have no faith ? 

/Rom. vii. 6, But now we are delivered from the law, that be. 
ing dead wherein we were held ; that we should serve in newness 
of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. Chap. viii. 3, 4, 
For what the law could net do t in that it was weak through the 
flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and 
for sin, condemned sin in the flesh : that the righteousness of the 
law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but af- 
ter the Spirit. 

g Rom. iv. 14, For we know that the law is spirituals but I am 
carnal, sold under sin. Chap, viii, 33, 34, Who shall lay any thing 
to the charge of God's elect ? It is God that justifieth, who is he 
$hat condemneth ? It is Christ that died, yea, rather, that is risen 
again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh in- 
tercession for us. 

b Deut. ^xxvii. 26, Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the 
words of the law to do them : and all the people shall say, Amen. 
Rom. i. 18, For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against 
all ungodliuess, and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth 
in unrighteousness. 

i Isa. liii. 6, The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all, 
Heb. vii, 26, For such an high priest became us, who is holy, 
harmless undefiled, separate from sinners. 

k Rom, vii. 24, O wretched man that I am ? who shall deliver 
ike from the body of this death ? Acts xiii. 33, 39, Be it known 



225 ' gospel soxnlts. Part III. 

Guilt and demerit differ here, 
Though oft their names confounded are, 
I'm guilty in myself always, 
Since sin's demerit ever stays n. 
Yet in my Head I'm always free 
From proper guilt affecting me \ 
Because my Surety's blood canceli'd 
The bond of curses once me held g» 
The guilt that pardon *1 did divorce, 
From legal threat'nings drew its force/?: 
But sin's desert that lodges still. 
Is drawn from sin's intrinsic ill q. 

unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is 
preached unto you the forgivenes 5 of sins : and by him all that be- 
lieve are justified from all things from which ye could not be jus- 
tified by the law ef Moses. • 

I Rom. iii. 19. Now we know, that what things soever the law 
saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth 
may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 
>v. 23, 24, For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God ; 
being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is 
in Jesus Christ. 

m Rom. iv. 6, 7, 8. Even as David also describeth the blessedness 
of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, 
3aying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose 
sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not 
impute sin. Psalm li. 3. 4, For I acknowledge my transgressions; 
and my sin is ever before me, Against thee, thee only have 1 sin- 
ned, and done this evil in thy sight ; that thou mightest be justi- 
fied when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest, And 
exliii. 2, O Lord, enter not into judgment with thy servant; for 
in thy sight can no man living be justified. 

n Rom. vii. 13, 14, Was then that which is good, made death 
unto me ? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, work- 
ing death in me by that which is good ; that sin by the command- 
ment might become exceeding sinful. For we know that the law 
is spiritual ; but I am carnal, sold under sin. Eph. v. 6, Let no man 
deceive you with vain words; for because of these things cometh 
the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. 

o Rom. v. 1, Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace 
with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, tv 9, Much more then 
being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath 
through him. ^. 11, And not only so, but we also joy in Ged, 



Sect. XIV. THE believer's riddle. 227 

Were guilt nought else but sin's desert, 
Of pardon Fd renounce my part : 
For were I now in heav'n to dwell, 
I'd own my sins deserved hell r. 
This does my highest wonder move 
At matchless justifying love, 
That thus secures for endless death 
A wretch deserving double wrath /. 
Though well my black desert I know, 
Yet I'm not liable to wo j 

through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received 
the atonement. 

p Gal. iii. 10, For as many as are of the works of the law, are 
«nder the curse; for it is written, Cursed is every one that conti- 
uueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law 
to do them. v. 13, Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the 
Jaw, keing made a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed is every 
one that hangeth on a tree. 

q Psalm li. 4, See letter m forecited. Luke xv. 18, I will 3rise 
and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned 
against heaven and before thee. 

r Luke xv. 19, — And am no more worthy to be called thy son. 
Rev. v. 4, And 1 (John) wept much, because no man was found 
worthy to open, and to read the book, neither to look thereon — 
Vi J>. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take 
the book, and to open the seals thereof; for thou wast slain, and 
hast redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of every kindred, and 
tongue, and people, and nation, -v. 11, 12, 13, And 1 beheld, 
and I heard the voice of many angels round the throne, and the 
beasts, and the elders ; the number of them was ten thousand times 
ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; saying with a loud 
voice, Worthy is the Lamb that wa9 slain, to receive power, and 
riches, and wisdom, and strength, anil honour, and glory, and bles- 
sing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, 
and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are 
in them, heard I, saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and 
power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the 
Lamb for ever and ever. 

/Rom. vii. 24, 25, O wretched man that T am ! who shall deli- 
ver me from the body of this death ? I thank God, through Jesus 
Christ our Lord. Chap. viii. 1, There is therefore now no con- 
demnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not afcer 
th- flesh, but after the Spirit. 1 Tim. i. 13, Who was before a 
blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious. Eut I obtained mer- 
cy, because I did it ignorantly, in unbelief. v. 15, 16, 17, This is 
a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus 



228 gospel sonnets. Part III. 

While full and complete righteousness 

Imputed for my freedom is s. 

Hence my security from wrath 

As firmly stands as Jesus death t, 

As does my little unto heav'n 

Upon his great obedience giv'n u. 

The sentence Heav'n did full pronounce* 

Has pardon'd all my sins at once : 

And ev'n from future crimes acquit, 

Before I could the facts commit v. 



came into the, world to save sinners ; of whom I am the chief. 
Howbeit, for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus 
Christ might shew forth all long- suffering,, for a pattern to them 
which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting. Now 
unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be 
honour, and glory, for ever and ever. Amen. 

s 1 Cor. i. 30, But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is 
made unto us — righteousness — and redemption. 2 Cor. v. 21, 
God hath made Christ to be sin-for us, who knew no sin ; that we 
might be made the righteousness of God in him. Rom. iv. 11, 
And he (Abraham) received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the 
righteousness of the faith, which he had yet being uncircumcised : 
that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they 
be not circumcised ; that righteousness might be imputed unto 
them also. <u. 22, — 25, And therefore it was imputed to him for 
righteousness. Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it 
was imputed to him ; but for us also to whom it shall be imputed, 
if we believe en him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, 
who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for ouf 
justification. 

t Rom. v. 9, Much more then, being now justified by his blood, 
we shsll be saved from wrath through him. 

u Rom. v. 17, — 19,— They which receive abundance of grace, 
and of the gift of righteousness, shall reign in life by one«, Jesus 
Christ. — By the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all 
men unto justification of life. — By the obedience of one shall many 
be made righteous. «y, 21, Grace reigns through righteousness 
unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord. 

so Psalm ciii. 3, Bless the Lord, O my soul,— who forgiveth all 
thine iniquities ; who healeth all thy diseases. 2 Cor. v. 19, God 
was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing 
their trespasses unto them. v. 21, See letter s above-cited. Dan. 
ix. 24. Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people, and upon 
thy holy city, to finish the tran c gression, and to make an end of 
sifiw, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in ever* 



Sect. XIV. THE believer's riddle, 229 

I'm always in a pardon'd state 

Before and after sin w ; but yet, 

That vainly I presume not hence, 

I'm seldom pardon'd to my sense x. 

Sin brings a vengeance on my head, 

Though from avenging wrath I m freed y. 

And though my sins all pardon'd be, 

Their pardon's not apply 'd to me z. i 

Thus though I need no pardon more, 

Yet need new pardons ev'ry hour # , 

lasting righteousness. Isa. liv. 10, For the mountains shall depart, 
and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from 
thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the 
Lord, that hath mercy on thee. Heb. viii. 12. For I will be mer- 
riful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities 
will I remember no more. 

- <w Rom. viii. 1, There is therefore now no condemnation to them 
which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after 
the Spirit, m. 3S-, 34, 35, 37, 38, 39. Who shall lay any thing to 
the charge of God's elect ? It is God-that justifieth : who is he that 
condemneth ? It is Christ that died, yea, rather, that is risen again, 
who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh interces- 
sion for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ, shall 
tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or 
peril, or the sword ? Nay, in all these things we are more than con- 
querors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that 
neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor poweis, 
nor things present, nor things to come, nor heighth, nor depth, nor 
any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of 
God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

x Psalm xxv. 11, For thy name's s«ke, O Lord, pardon mine in- 
iquity ; for it is great. And li. 8, 9, Make me to hear joy and 
gladness ; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. 
Hide thy face from my sins; and blot out all mine iniquities. */. 
12, Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation ; and uphold me with 
thy free spirit. 

y Psalm xcix. 8, Thou answeredst thesn, O Lord our God : thou 
wast a God that forgavest them, tho' thou tookest vengeance of 
their inventions. 1 Thess. i. 10. And to wait for hit Son from 
heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which deliver- 
ed us from the wrath to come. 

% Psalm xxxv. 3, O Lord, say unto my soul, I am thy salvation. 
And lxxxv. 8. I will heir what God the Lord will speak ; for he 
will spe-ik peace unto his people, and to his saints; but let them 
IUH turn again to folly. Matth. ix. 2, And behold, they brought 



230 GOSPEL SONNETS. Part in. 



In point of application free ; 
Lord, wash anew, and pardon me. 



SECT. XV — The mystery of Faith and Sight, of which 
more, part vi. chap. vi. 

QTRANGE contridictions me befal, 
*^ I can't believe unless I see a - 9 
Yet never can believe at all, 

Till once I shut the seeing eye b. 
When sight of sweet experience 

Can give my faith no helping hand*:, 
The sight of sound intelligence 

Will give it ample ground to stand d. 

lo him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeiag 
their faith, said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, he of good cheer, 
thy sins be forgiven thee. 

* Matth. vi. 12. And forgive us oar debts, as we forgive our 
debtors. 1 John i. 7, 8, If we walk in the light, as God is in the 
light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus 
Christ his Son cleamseth us from all sin. If we say, that we have 
no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 

a John vi. 40. And this is the will of him that sent me, that eve- 
ry one which seeth the Son, andbelieveth on him, may have ever- 
lasting life, 

b John xx. 29, Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast 
seen me, thou hast believed : blessed are they that have not *ten, 
and yet have believed. 

c Isa. viii. 17, And I will waif upon the Lord that hideth his 
face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him. Chap. I. 10* 
Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice 
of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light ? let 
them trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God. 

d Eph. i. 15,-19, Wherefore I also, after 1 heard of your faith 
in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, cease not to give 
thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; that the 
God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give until 
yon the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, in the knowledge of him ; 
the eyes of your understanding being enlightened ; that ye may 
know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the 
glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding 



Sect. XV. the believer's riddle. 231 

I walk by faith, and not by sight e, 

Yet knowledge does my faith. resound. j^. 
Which cannot walk but in the light g, 

Ev'n when experience runs a-ground //• 
By knowledge I discern and spy 

In divine light the object shewn / j 
By faith I take and close apply 

The glorious object as mine 6\vn he 
My faith thus stands on divine lights 

Believing what it clearly sees / ; 
Yet faith is opposite to sight, 

Trusting its ear, and not its eyes nu 
Faith list'ning to a sweet report, 

Still comes by hearing, not by sight n ; 
Yet is not faith of saving sort, 

But when it sees in divine light o. 

greatness of his power .to us- ward who believe, according to the 
working of his mighty power, Sec. 2 Cor. iv 6. For God, who 
commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in oar 
hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in 
the face of Jesus Christ. 

e 2 Cor. v. 7, For we walk by faith, not by sight. 

f John ii. 11. This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of 
GahJee, and manifested forth his glory ; and his disciples believed 
on him. 

g Psalm ix. 10. And they that know thy name will put their 
trusc in thee. 

h Psalm xxxvii. 14. Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and 
he shall strengthen thine heart ; wait, I say, on the Lord. 

i 2 Cor. iii. 18. But we all with open face, beholding as in a 
glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image, from 
glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. 

k John i. 12. But as many as received him, to them gave he 
J)0wer to become the sons of God, even to them that believe xm 
his name. 

/ Gai. i. 16. But when it pleased God — to reveal hi* Son in me, 
that I might preach him among the Heathen, immediately I con- 
ferred not with flesh and blood. 

in Eph. i. 13. In Christ ye also trusted after that ye heard the 
word of truth, the gospel ©f your salvation. 

n Rom. x. 17, So then, faith cometh by hearing, and hearing 
by the word of God. 

o Psalm xxxvi. 7. How excellent is thy loving. kindness, O 
God ! therefore the children of men put their trust inder the 

u 



SS2 GOSPEL SONNETS. Part IIL 

In fears I spend my vital breath, 

In doubts I waste my passing years p ; 

Yet still the life I live is faith, 

The opposite of doubts and fears q* 

r Tween clearing faith and clouding sense, 

I walk in darkness and in light r. 
I'm certain oft, when in suspense, 

While sur6 by faith and not by sight f. 

shadow of thy wings, v. 9. For with thee is the fountain of life ; 
in thy light shall we see light. 

p Psalm Ixxvii. 3, 4. I remembered God, and was troubled : I 
complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah. Thou holdest 
mine eyes waking; I am so troubled that I cannot speak. John 
xx. 25. But Thomas said unto the other disciples, Except 1 shall 
see in his hands the print -of the nails, and put my finger into the 
print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will »ot be- 
lieve. Luke xxiv. 21. We trusted that it had been he which 
should have redeemed Israel. 

q Gal. ii. 20. I am crucified with Christ : Nevertheless I live ; 
yet not I, but Christ liveth in me : and the life which I now live in 
the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and 
gave himself for me. Mark v. 36. As soon as Jesus heard the word 
that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not 
afraid, only believe, Matth. viii. 26. And Jesus saith unto his dis- 
ciples, Why are ye so fearful, O ye of Httle faith ? Chap. xiv. 31, 
JltA Jesus said unto Peter, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst 
thou doubt ? 

r Job xxix. 1, 2, 3. Moreover, Job continued his parable, and 
said, Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God 
preserved me : when his candle shined upon my head, and when 
by his light I walked through darkness. Psalm cxii. 4. Unto the 
upright there ariseth light in the darkness. 

f\ Pet, i. S. Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom,tho' now 
ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable, 
and full of glory. Rom. iv. 18, — 21. Abraham against hope, be- 
lieved in hope, that he might become the father of many nations ; 
according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. And be- 
ing not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, 
when he was about an hundred years olJ, neither yet the deadness 
of Sarah's womb. He staggered not at the promise of God thro* 
unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God ; and being 
fuily persuaded, that what he had promised he was able also to 
perform. Psalm bxxix. 36, — S9. His seed shall endure for ever, 
and his throne as tn* sua before me. It shall be established for eter 
as the moo:» and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah. But thou 
hast cast off snd abhorred^ thou hast been wroth with thine 



Sect X VI. THE BELIEVER'S RIDDLE. 233 

SECT. XVL— The mystery of Faith and Worhy and re- 
wards of Grace and Debt. 

I. OF FAITH AND WORKS. 

HE that in word offendeth not, 
Is call'd a perfect man I wot a \ 
Yet he whose thoughts and deeds are bad> 
The law-perfection never had b. 

I am design'd a perfect soul, 

Ev'n though I never kept the whole, 

Nor any precept c ; for 'tis known 

He breaks them all that breaks but one d. 

By faith I do perfection claim e 3 
By works I never grasp the name^f: 

anointed. Thou hast made'void the covenant of thy servant ; thou 
hast profaned his crown, by casting it to the ground. 

a James iii. 2. If any man offend not in word, the same is a per- 
fect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. 

b James ii. 10. For whosoever shajl keep the whole law, and, 
yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. 

c Rom. iv. 5, 6. To him that worketh not, but believeth on him 
that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. 
Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man unto 
whom God imputeth righteousness without works. Job i. 1. There 
was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job, and that man 
was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed 
eyiJ, Psalm Jxxi. 16. I will go in the strength of the Lord God; 
I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only. — 
Eccl. vii. 20. For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth 
good, and sinnelh not. 

d James ii. 10. See letter b. 

e Phil. iii. 9. I count all things but dung, that I may wia 
Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, 
which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, 
the righteousness which is of God by faith. 

fOzi. ii. 16. Knowing that a man is not justified by the works 
of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ; even we have believ- 
ed in Jesus Christ; that we might be justified by the faith of 
Christ, and not by the works of the law; for by the works of tht 
law shall no flesh be justified. 



234 GOSPEL SOXKETS. Part II lr 

Yet without works my faith is nought £, 
And thereby no perfection brought. 

Works without faith will never speed h % 
Faith without works is wholly dead i i 
Yet I am justify'd by faith, 
Which no law- works adjutant hath k. 

Yea, gospel works no help can lend /, 
Though still they do my faith attend m : 

g James ii. 14. What doth It profit, rny. brethren, though a man 
Sfiy he hath faith, and have net works t dan faith save him ? 

h Heb. xi. 6 Without faith it is impossible to please God: for 
he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a 
rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Rom xxiv. 23. What- 
soever is not of faith, is sin. 

i James ii. 17. Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead being 
alone, *». 26. For as the body without the spirit i3 dead, so faith 
without works is dead also. 

k Rom. iii. 21, 22. But now the righteousness of God without 
the law is manifested, being- witnessed by the law and the pro- 
phets ; even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus 
Christ unto all, and upon all them that believe ; for there is no dif- 
ference. Chap. iv. 4, 5, 6 Now to him that worketh, is the re- 
ward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that work- 
eth not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith 
is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the 
blessedness, of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness 
without works. 

/ Phil. iii. 4, — 9. If any o-her man thinketh that he hath whereof 
he might trust in the flesh, I more; — touching the righteousness 
which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, 
those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all 
things but loss* for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Je- 
sus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and 
do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in 
him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but 
that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which 
is of God by faith, Isa. Ixiv. 6. But we are all as an unclean 
thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. Hos. xiii. 9. 
O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself, but in me is thine help. — 
Isa. xlv. 24, 25. Surely shall one say, in the Lord have I righte- 
ousness and strength: even to him shall men come, and all that 
are incensed against him shall be ashamed. In the Lord shall all" 
the seed of Israel he justified, and shall glory. 

m Titus iii. 8. This is a faithful saying, and these things I will 



Sect. XVI. THE believer's riddle. 25£ 

Yet faith by works is perfect made, 
And by their presence justify'd n. 

But works with faith could never vie, 
And only faith can justify o. 
Yet still my justifying faith 
No justifying value hath p. 

Lo, justifying grace from heav'n 
Is foreign ware, and freely giv'n q : 

that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God 
might be careful to maintain good works ; these things are good 
and profitable unto men. v James ii. 18. Yea, a man may say, Thou 
hast faith, and I have works; shew me thy faith without thy works, 
and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 

n James ii. 21, 22. Was not Abraham our father justified by 
works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar ? Seest 
thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith 
made perfect ? «u. 24. Ye see then how that by works a man is 
justified, and not by faith only. 

o Rom. iv. 16. Therefore 'it is of faith, that it might be by 
grace ; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed. Tit. 
iii. 4, — 7. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour 
toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness, which we 
have done, but according to his mercy he saved us by the wash- 
ing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost : which he 
shed on us abundantly, through Jesus Christ our Saviour ; that be- 
ing justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to 
the hope of eternal life. Actsx. 43. To him gave all the pro- 
phets witness, that through his name, whosoever believeth on him, 
shall receive remission of sins. 

p Gal. iii. 21, 22. Is the law then against the promises of God ? 
God forbid: for if there have been a law given which could have 
given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. But 
the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by 
faith of Jesus Christ may be given to them that believe. Luke 
xxii. 31, 32. And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath 
desired to have you, that he may .sift you as wheat; but I have 
prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not; and when thou art con- 
verted, strengthen thy brethren. 2 Cor. iii. 5. Not that we are 
sufficient of ourselves, to think any thing of ourselves; but our suf- 
ficiency is of God. Chap. xii. 5. Of such an one will I glory ; yet 
of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities. 

q Rom. v. 16, 17. — The free gift is of many offences unto jus- 
tification — They which receive abundance of grace, and of the 
gift of righteousness, shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ. ChapV 
iii. 24. Being justified freely by his grace^ thro 5 tfce redemption 
that is in Jesus Christ. 

US 



236 GGSPEX, sonnets. Part III, 

And saving faith is well content 
To be a mere recipient r. 

Faith's active in my sanctity j* : 
But here its act it will deny s, 
And frankly own it never went 
Beyond a passive instrument t . 

I labour much, like holy Paul ; 
And yet not I, but grace does all u j 
I try to spread my little sails, 
And wait for pow'rful moving gales v. 

r Rom. v. 11. And not only so, but we also joy in God, through 
our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atone- 
ment. «y. 17. See letter ^r. 

/Gal. v. 6\ For in Jesus Christ, neither circumcision availeth 
any thing, nor un circumcision, but faith which worketh by love, 
Acts xv. 9. God put no difference -between us and them, purifying 
their hearts by faith. Chap. xxvi. 18. To open their eyes, and to 
J urn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan ut> 
to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance 
among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. 

s Rom. iv. 16. Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace. 
Chap. xi. 6. And if by grace, then it is no more of works; other- 
wise grace is no -more grace. 

t F.ph. ii. 8, 9. For by grace are ye saved thro' faith ; and that 
pot of yourselves : it is the gift of God : not of works, lest any mtn 
should boast. 1 Cor. iv. 7. For who maketh thee to differ from 
another ? and what hast thou that thou didet not receive ? now if 
thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not re- 
ceived it ? Heb, xi. 11. Through faith also Sarah herself received 
strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she 
was past age, because she judged him faithful who ha4 promised. 
<i'. 17. By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: 
and he that had received the promises, offered up his only begotten 
Son. <i>. 19. Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even 
from the dead ; from whence also he received him in a figure. — 
v. 35. Women received their dead raised to life again : and others 
were tortured, not accepting deliverance ; that they might obtain 
a better resurrection, 

it 1 Cor. xv. 10. But by the grace of God I am what I am : and 
his grace which was bestowed upon me, was not in vain; but I 
laboured more abundantly than they all j yet not I, but the grace 
vf God which was with me. 

<v Psalm lxxi. 16. I will go in the strength of the Lord God : I 
will roaks mention of thy righteousness; even of thine only. Song 



Sect. XVI. TKE BELIEVER'S RIDDLE. 237 

When powVs convey'd, I work ; but see, 
'Tis still his pow'r that'works in me. 
I am an agent at his call, 
Yet nothing am, for grace is all <w. 

II. Of rewards of Grace and Debt. 

"IN all my works I still regard 

-*- The recompence of full reward x ,• 

Yet such my working is withal, 

I look for no reward at all y* 

God's my reward exceeding great, 
No lesser heav'n than this I wait z ; 

Jv. 16. Awake, O north wind, and come, thou south, blow upofi 
my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. 

n.v Phil. ii. 12, 13. Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always 
obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my ab- 
sence : work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For 
it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good 
pleasure. Gal. ii. 20. I am crucified with Christ: Nevertheless I 
live ; yet not I, but Christ liveth in 'me ; and the life which i now 
live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved 
me, and gave himself for me. 2 Cor. xii. 9. And the Lord said un- 
to me, My grace is sufficient for thee ; for my strength is made 
perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory 
in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me, 

x Heb. xi. 24,25, 26. By faith Moses, when he was come to 
years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter : choos- 
ing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to en- 
joy the pleasure of sin for a season ; esteeming the reproach of 
Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he had re- 
spect unto the recompence of the reward. 

y 1 Tim. i. 9. Gcd hath saved us, and called us with an holy 
•cdling, not according to our works, but according to his own pur- 
pose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus, before the 
world began. Tit. iii. 5. Not by works of righteousness, which 
we have done, but according to his mercy he s^ved us by the wash- 
ing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost. 

% Gen. xv. 1. After these things the word of the Lord came un» 
to Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram ; 1 am thy shield, 
and thy exceeding great reward. Psalm lxxiii. 25, 26. Whom 
have I in heaven but thee ? and there is none upon earth that I 
desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth; but God is the 
strength of my heart, and my portion for ever, 



23S GOSPEL SONNETS. Part Hi, 

But where's the earning work so broad, 
To set me up an heir of God a ? 

Rewards of debt, rewards of grace, 
Are opposites in ev'ry case b > 
Yet sure I am they'll both agree 
Most jointly in rewarding me c. 

Though hell's my just reward for sin d 
Heaven as my just reward I'll win e. 
Both these my just rewards I know, 
Yet truly neither of them so *. 



a Ezek. xxxvi. 32. Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord 
God, be it known unto you ; be ashamed and confounded for your 
own ways, O house of Israel. Rom. viii. 16, 17. The Spirit itself 
beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God. 
And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with 
Christ. 

b Rom. iv. 4. Now to him that worketh, is the reward not rec- 
koned of grace, but of debt. 

c Psalm lviii. 1 1. Verily there is a reward for the righteous ; ve- 
rily he is a God that judgeth in the earth. Isa. lxiL 11. Behold 
the Lord hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to 
the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh ; behol^ his 
reward is with him, and his work before him. 

d Rom. vi. 21. What fruit had ye then in those things, whereof 
ye are now ashamed ? for the end of those things is death. i>. 23. 
The wages of sin is death, Eph. v. 6. Let no man deceive you with 
vain words ; for because of these things cometh the wrath of God 
upon the children of disobedience. Gal. iii. 10. For as many as 
are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, 
Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are 
written in the book of the law to do them. 

e Gal. iii. 13, 14. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the 
law, being made a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed is every 
one that hangeth on a tree ; that the blessing of Abraham might 
come on the Ger tiles thro' Jesus Christ; that we might receive 
thepromise of the Spirit through faith. Eph. i. 13, 14. In Christ 
also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of 
promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemp- 
tion of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. Rom. 
y. 21. Grace reigns through righteousness unto eternal life, by Je- 
sus Christ our Lord. And vi. 23. The gift of God is eternal life 
through Jesus' Christ our Lord. 

* Through these opposite vokes of law ?nd gospel 



' Seet. XVI. the believer's riddle* - 23$ 

Hell can't in justice be my lot, 
Since justice satisfaction goty~$ 
Nor heav'n in justice be my share, 
Since mercy only brings me there g. 

Yet heav'n is mine by solemn oath, 
In justice and in mercy both h : 
And God in Christ is all my trust, 
Because he's merciful and just i. 

/Rom. iii. 25, 26. Whom God hath set forth to be a propitia- 
tion, thro' faith in his blood, to declare his right- ousness for the 
remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of Goc^ ; to 
declare, I say, at this time his righteousness, that he might be just, 
and the justifier of him which believeth in Je?us. 

g Rom. ix. 15, 16. God saith to Moses, I will have meicy on 
whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I 
will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of 
him that runneth -, but of God that sheweth mercy, lit. iii. 4, — 
7. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward 
man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we hav^ done, 
but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regene- 
ration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost ; which he shed on us 
abundantly thro' Jesus Christ our Saviour ; thut being justified by 
his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope: of eter- 
nal life. 

h Psalm lxxxix. 35,36. Once have I sworn by my holiness, that 
I will not lie unto David. His seed shall endure for ever, and his 
throne as the sun before me. Heb. vi. 17,18. Wherein God willing 
more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutabi- 
lity of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath ; that by two immutable 
things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have 
a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upan the 
hope set before us. Psalm lxxxix. 14, Justice and judgment are the 
habitation of thy throne ; mercy and truth shall go before thy face* 
<v. 16. In thy name shall they rejoice all the day ; and in thy righte- 
ousness shall they be exalted. <6. 24. But my faithfulness and my 
mercy shall be within him (David my servant;) and in thy name 
shall his horn be exalted. «y. 28. My mercy will I keep for him 
for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him. 

i Heb. ii, 17. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to-be 
made like unto his brethren ; that he might be a merciful and 
faithful high priest, in things pertaining to God to make reconcili- 
ation for the sins of the people. 1 John i. 6, 8, 9. If we walk in 
the light, as God is in the light, we have fellowship one with ano- 
ther, and the blood of Jesus Christ the Son cleanseth us from all sin. 
Jfi we say that we have no sin. we deceive our»eives 3 and :he trutk 



240 GOSPEL SONNETS, Part 111. 

CONCLUSION. 

TTERE is the riddle, whereas the man 
•**-■■ Of judgment to expound ? 
For masters fam'd, that cannot scan, 
In Israel may be found a. 

We justly those in wisdom's list 

Established saints may call, 
Whose bitter sweet experience blest 

Can clearly grasp it all k 

Some babes in grace may mint* and mar, # essay, 

Yet aiming right succeed c : 
But strangers they in Isra'l are, 

Who not at all can read d. 

is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to for- 
give us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

a John iii. 10. Jesus answered and said unto Nicodemus, Art 
thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things ? 

b Matth. xi. 25. At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank 
thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid 
these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them 
^to h?.!:::. And -iii. II. Jesus SiiS^sred and said unto his disci- 
ples, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the 
kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 

c 1 Cor. iii. 1, 2. And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as 
unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I 
have fed you with milk, and not with meat ; for hitherto ye were 
not able to bear ic, neither yet now are ye able. Heb. v. 12, 13, 
14. For when, for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need 
that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles 
of God, and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong 
meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of 
righteousness; for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to 
them that are of full age, even those who, by reason of use, have 
their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. And vi. 1. 
Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go 
on unto perfection ; not laying again the foundation of repentance 
from dead works, and of faith towards God, ckc. 1 John ii. 12, 13. 
I write unto you, littlethildren, because your sins are forgiven you 
for his name's sake.— I write unto you, little children, because ye 
have known the Father. 

d 2 Cor. iv. 3, 4. But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that 
are lost ; in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of 
them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospei of 
Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. 



&OSPEL SONNETS. 



PART IV. 



THE 

BELIEVER'S LODGING AND INN WHILE ON EARTH; 

OR, 
A POEM AND PARAPHRASE UFON PSALM LXXX1V. 

Ver. 1 . How amiable are thy tabernacles , Lord of hosts! 



JEhovah, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, 
Sole Monarch of the universal host, 
Whom the attendant armies still revere, 
Which in bright robes surround the higher sphere ; 
Whose sovVeign empire sways the hellish band 
Of ranked legions in th ? infernal land ; 
Who hold'st the earth at thy unrivall'd beck, 
And stay'st proud forces with a humbling check \ 
Ev'n thou whose name commands an awful dread, 
Yet deigns to dwell with man in very deed ; 
O what refreshment fills the dwelling place 
Of thine exuberant unbounded, grace ! 
Which with sweet pow'r does joy and praise extort* 
In Zion's tents, thine ever-loVd resort : 
Where glad'ning streams of mercy from above 
Make souls brim-full of warm seraphic love. 
Of sweetest odours all thy garment smells ; "1 

Thy dismal absence proves a thousand hells, > 

But heav'ns of joy are where thine honour dwells. 3 

Ver. 2. My soul longethy yea even fainteth for the courts 
of the Lord : my heart and my flesh crieih outftr the 
living God. 

Therefore on thee I centre my desire, 
Which veh'mently bursts out in ardent fire. 
Deprived, ah ! I languish in my plaint, 
My bones are feeble, and my spirits faint. 



24-2 gospel sonnets. Part IV, 

My longing soul pants to behold again ' 
Thy temple fili'd with thy majestic train ; 
Those palaces with heav'nly odour strew'd, 
And regal courts, where Zion's King is view'd * 
To see the beauty of the highest .One, 
Upon his holy mount, his lofty throne : 
Whence virtue running from the living Head 
Restores the dying and revives the dead : 
For him my heart wkh cries repeated sounds, 
To which my flesh with echo loud rebounds 
For him, for him, who life in death can give, 1 
For him, for him, whose sole prerogative > 

Is from and to eternity to live, j 

Ver. 3. Yea, the sparrow hath found an house* and the 
swallow a nest for herself where she may lay her youngs 
even thine altars } Lord of hosts ^my King and my God. 

Alas ! how from thy lovely dwellings I, 
Long banish'd, do the happy birds envy j 
Which, choosing thy high altars for their nest, 
On rafters of thy tabernacle rest ! 
Here dwells the sparrow of a chirping tongue, 
And here the swallow lays her tender young ; 
Faint sacrilege, they seize the sacred spot, 
And seem to glory o'er my absent lot. 
Yet sure I have more special right to thee 
Than all the brutal hosts of earth and sea ; 
That Sov'reign at whose government they bow, 
Is wholly mine by his eternal vow ; 
My King, to rule my heart and quell my foes ; 1 
My God, t' extract my well from present woes, > 
And crown with endless glory at the close. j 

Vkr. 4. Blessed are they that dwelt in thy house ; they 
will be still praising thee, 

O happy they that haunt thy house J^elow, - 
And to thy royal sanctuary flow ; 



Fart IV. THE believer's lodging. 243 

Not for itself, but for the glorious One 
. Who there inhabits his erected throne ! 
Others pass by, but here their dwelling is ! 
P happy people, crown'd with bays of bliss ! 
Bless'd with the splendid lustre of his face, 
Bless'd with the high melodious sound of grace* 
That wakens souls into a sweet amaze, 
And turns their spirits to a harp of praise ; 
Which loudly makes the lower temple ring 
With hallelujahs to the mighty King : 
And thus they antedate the nobler song ~) 

Of that celestial and triumphant throng, > 

Who warble notes of praise eternity along. j 

VeY. 5. Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee :~— • 
What weights of bliss their happy shoulders load, 
Whose strength lies treasur'd in a potent God ? 
Self-drained souls, yet flowing to the brim, 
Because void in themselves, but full in him. 
Adam the first discuss'd their stock of strength, 
The scond well retriev'd the sum at length j 
Who keeps himself a surer hand indeed, 
To give not as they list a but as they need. 
When raging furies threaten sudden harms, 
He then extends his everlasting arms \ 
When Satan drives his pointed iiery darts, 
He gives them courage and undaunted hearts 
To quell his deadly force with divine skill, 
And adds new strength to do their Sov ? reign*s will : 
When sore harass'd by some outrageous lust, "1 

He levelling its pow'r unto the dust > 

Makes saints to own him worthy of their trust. j 

Ver. 6, In whose heart are the ways of 'them j who pas- 
sing through the valley of Baca, make it a well : the 
ram aUofilleth the. pools. 
Such heav'n-born souls are not to earth cojlfin'd> 

Trutjh's high-way filb his elevated mind : 



244 GOSPEL SONNETS., Part IV. 

They, bound for Zion, press with forward aim, 

As Isra'l's males to old Jerusalem. 

Their holy path lies through a parched land, 

Through oppositions numerous and grand. 

Traversing scorched desarts, ragged rocks, 

And Baca's wither'd vale, like thirsty flocks : 

Yet with unshaken vigour homeward go, 

Not mov'd by all opposing harms below. 

They digging wells on this Gilboa top, 

The vale of Achor yields a door of hope : 

For Heav'n in plenty does their labour crown> 

By making silver show'rs to trickle down •, 

Till empty pools imbibe a pleasant fill, "> 

And weary souls are heart'ned up the hill, £ 

By massy drops of joy which down distill. j 

Ven. 7. They go from strength to strength, every one of 
them in Zion appeareth before God. 

Thus they, refreshed by superior aid, 
Are not defatigated nor dismay 'd ; 
Because they are, O truth of awful dread ! 
As potent as Jehovah in their Head. 
Hence they shall travel with triumphant minds, 
In spite of ragged paths and boist'rous winds. 
The roughest ways their vigour ne'er abates, 
Each new assault their strength redintegrates. 
When they through mortal blows seem to give o'er, 
Their strength by intermitting gathers more. 
And thus they, with un weary 'd zeal endu'd, 
Still as they journey have their strength renew'd ; 
So glorious is the race, that once begun, 
Each one contends his fellow to outrun ; 
Till all uniting in a glorious band, 
Before the Lamb's high throne adoring stand, 
And harp his lofty praise in Zion-land. 

Ver. 8. O Lord God of hosts , hear my pr aver: give ear 4 
God of Jacob. 



Part IV. the believer's lodging. 243 

Great God of num'rous hosts, who reigns alcnc 
The sole possessor of th' imperial throne ; 
Since mental tastes of thy delicious grace 
So sweetly relish in thy holy place, 
This is the subject of my tabled pray'r, 
To have the vision of thy glory there. 
£} let my cry pierce the ethereal frame, 
And mercy's echo follow down the same. 
Omniscient Being, favour my desire, 
Hide not thy .goodness in paternal ire : 
Why, th&u hast giv'n in an eternal band 
To Jacob and his seed thy royal hand, 
And promised, by thy sacred Deity, 1 

His King and covenanted God to be : > 

-Therefore my hopes are centered all in thee, j 

Vc-r. 9; Behold, God, our shield, and look upon the face 

of thine Anointed. 

Omnipotent ! whose armour none can wield. 
Zion's great buckler and defensive shield ; 
Thy pure untainted eyes cannot behold 
Deformed mortals in their sinful mold \ 
Unless their names be graved on the breast 
Of Zion's holy consecrated Priest. 
When they his white and glorious garment wear, 
Then sin and guilt both wholly disappear : 
Because o'erwhelmed in the crimson flood, 
And ocean of a dying Surety's blood : 
They also, vested with his radiant grace, 
Reflect the lustre of his holy face. 
They're not themselves now, but divinely trim, 
For wholly what they are, they are in him : 
And hence Jehovah's all-discerning eye ~) 

Cannot in them espy deformity. £ 

Then look on htm, Lord, and in him on me. j 

Ver. 10. For a day in thy courts is better than a thou- 
sand : I had rather be a door-keeper in the house of my 
God) than to dwell in the tints of wickedness. 



213 GOSPEL SONETS. Part IV* 

May I possess, as thy domestic child, 
The house that by Jehovah's name is styPd : 
For royal glories deck those courts of thine, 
Which with majestic rays so brightly shine, 
That should my mind present an earth of gold, 
As full of worldly joys as earth can hold : 
Sweet grace so fills thy house, I'd grudge to spare 
One moment here, for thousand ages there* 
No earthly object shall my love confine, 
That Being which possesses all, is mine, 
My spirit therefore rather would embrace 
The meanest office in his holy place, 
And by the threshold of his house within* 
Than sit in splendour on a tbrone of sin, 
In Jesus' courts I'd choose the lowest place, 
At his saintsVfeer, so I might see his face. 
Yea, tho' my lamp of outward peace should burn "1 
Most brightly, yet I would incessant mourn, > 

While in a wicked Mesech I sojourn, j 

Ver. 1 1 . F&r the Lord G$d is a sun and shield : the Lord 
will give grace and glory ; no good thing will he 
ivith'hold front than thai walk uprightly. 

For- God the Lord, whose courts I love to haunt, 
Is ev-ry thing that empty souls can want \ 
A sun for light, a shield for strength ; yea, more, 
On earth he gives his grace, in heav'n his glore. 
This radiant sun, of life and light the scarce ; 
Scatters the shades by circumambient course ; 
Yea, guides bemisted souls with heartsome beams, 
And gloriously irradiating gleams. 
This massy shield is polish'd bright with pow'r, 
For helping weaklings in a per'lous hour. 
Here's all that weary travellers would have, 
A sun to cherish, and a shield to save. 
Grace also here is giv'n t'adorn the soul, 
And yield to glory in the heavenly pole* 



Part IV. THE BELIEVER^ LODGING. 24<7 

All divine treasure to the saint is due •, 
Nothing's deny'd, if truth itself be true. 
The treasure is so vast it can't be told ; 
Nothing that God can give, will God with-hold. 
To whom he doth his saving grace impart, 
To them he gives himself, his hand, his heart : 
Uprightness too of heart and life does fall 
Unto their share, who having him, have all. 
In them the grace he gives, he still regards. 
Gives holiness, and then his gift rewards. 
.For to his own upright and divine bropd "1 

He's bound to grant ev'n all that's great and good, > 
By's own sure word, firm oath, and sacred blood, j 

Ver. 12.0 Lord of hosts r blessed is the man that trust- 
eih in thee. 

O then, Jehovah, God of armies strong, 
To whom the pow'rs of earth and heav'n belong ;. 
How vastly blessed is the fixed man, 
Who by a firm fiducial boldness can, 
Thro' grace and strength -dispensed from above, 
So sweetly scan the height of divine love, 
As to derive his comfort wholly thence, 
And on this rock to found his confidence ! 
"Whose faith has rear'd up for a firm abode 
A stable building on a living God ? 
Who, spoil'd of human props both great and small, 
Does choose a tri-une Deity for all ? 
What scrolls of bliss are in this All inroll'd, 
Is too sublime for seraphs to unfold. 
Sist, human wisdom, in a deep amaze ! J- 

Let rapid floods of life his glory raise, C 

Till time be drown'd in his eternal praise. y 

X3 



2lS . GOSPEL SONNETS. Part IV. 

A fourfold Exercise for the Believer in his 
Lodging on earth. 

I. The HOLT LAW; 

OR, 

The Ten Commandments, Exod. xx. 3, — 17. 

■*'"T\1 O God but me thou shalt adore. 

2. No image frame to bow before, 

3. My holy name take not in vain. 
4-. My sacred Sabbath don't profane. 
3. To parents render due respect. 

6. All murder shun, and malice check. 

7. From filth and whoredom base abstain \ 
S. From theft and all unlawful gain. 

9. False witness flee, and slandering spite ; 
10. Nor covet what's thy neighbour's right. 

IX. — The UNHOLY 71$ ART the direct opposite of God's 
holy and riglUeous Law y Rom. vii. 14. ; 

O R, 

The Knowledge of Sin by the Law, Rom. iii. 20, 

1. ]%/§~Y heart's to many gods a slave y 

2. ■ i -*-^- Of imagery an hideous cave. 

8. An hoard of God-dishon'ring crimes : 
••. A waster base of holy times ; 

5. A throne of pride and self-conceit; 
G. A slaughter-house of wrath and hate ; 

7. A cage of birds and thoughts unclean ; 

8. A den of thieves and frauds unseen j 

9. A heap of calumnies unspent ; 

10. A gulph of greed and discontent. 



Part IV. the believer's lodging. 24*9 

III. — The Glorious GOSPEL / 

o R, 

Christ the end of the Law for Righteousness, Rom, 
x. 4. ; and the absolute need of this remedy infer- 
red from the premises. 

HENCE I conclude, and clearly see, 
There's by the law no life for me \ 
Which damns each soul to endless thrall 
Whose heart and life fulfil not all. 
What shall I do, unless for bail 
I from the law to grace appeal ? 
She reigns thro' Jesus' righteousness, 
Which, giving justice full redress, 
On grace's door this motto grav'd, 
* Let sin be damn'd, and sinners sav'd.' 
O wisdom's deep mysterious way ! 
Lo, at this door I'll waiting stay, 
Till sin and hell both pass away. 
But in this bliss to shew my part, 
Grant, thro' thy law grav'd in my hearb^ 
My life may shew thy graving art. 

IV. — The Prayer of FaUH ; 

Which may be conceived in the following words of a 
certain author : 

CIM tuus in vita, tua sint mea funera, Christe ; 
*^ Da, precor, imperii sceptra tenere tui. 
Cur etenim moriens, tot vulnera sseva tulisti^ 
Si non sum regni portio parva tui ? 

Cur rigido latuit tua vita inclusa sepulchro, 
Si non est mea mors morte fugata tua ? 

Ergo mihi certam pnestes, O Christe, salutem ; 
Meque tuo lotum sanguine, Christe, juva. 



250 GOSPEL SONNETS. Part V. 

Which ?nay be thus Englished : 

Jesus, Pm thine in life and death ; 

O let me, conq'ring, hold thy throne f 
Why shard the cross thy vital breath, 

If not to make me share thy crown ! 
Why laid in jail of cruel grave, 

If not thy death from death me free ? 
Then, Lord, insure the bliss I crave, 

Seal'd with thy blood, and succour me. 



GOSPEL SONNETS. 

Part V. 

The Believer's Soliloquy, especially in times 
of desertion, distress, affliction, &c. 



SECT. I. — The deserted believer longing for perfect 
freedom from sin. 

fk H, mournful case ! what can afford 
-"^- Contentment when an absent Lord 
Will now his kindness never prove 
By smiles of grace nor lines of love ! 
What heart can joy, what soul can sing, 
While winter overruns the spring ! 
I die, yet can't my death condole ; 
Lord, save a dying, drooping soul* 
In pain, yet unconcern'd 1 live. 
And languish when I should believe. 
Lord, if thou cease to come and stay, 
My soul in sin will pine away. 



Sect. I. THE believer's soliloquy. 251 

In sin, whose ill no tongue can tell, 
To live is death, to die is hell ; 
O save, if not from thrall's arrest, 
Yet save me, Lord, from sin at least* 

This for his merit's sake I seek, 
Whose blood and wounds do mercy speak ; 
Who left the rank of glorious choirs, 
And heav'nly flowers for earthly briers. 

Our Sampson took an holy nap 
Upon our feeble nature's lap \ 
He wand'ring in a pilgrim's weed, 
Did taste our griefs to help^our need. 

Earth's fury did upon him light ; 
How black was Herod's cruel spite, 
Who, to be sure of murdering one, 
Lest he be spard did pity none ! 

Hell hunts the babe a few days old 
That came to rifle Satan's fold •, 
All hands pursued him even to death, 
That came to save from sin and wrath. 

O mercy, ignorant of bounds, 
Which all created thought confounds ! 
He ran outright a saving race 
For them that unto death him chase. 

O sin, how heavy is thy weight 
That press'd the glorious God of might ! 
Till, prostrate on the freezing ground, 
He sweat his clotted blood around ! 

His hand the pond'rous globe does prop, 
This weight ne'er made him sweat a drop ; 
But when sin's load upon him lies, 
He falls, and sweats, and groans, and dies, 

Alas ! if God sink under sin, 
How shall the man that dies therein ! 
How deeply down, when to the load 
He adds the slighted blood of God ? 



52 GOSPEL SONNETS. Part V, 

Lord, let thy fall my rise obtain, 
Thy grievous shame my glory gain ; 
Thy cross my lasting crown procure, 
Thy death my endless life insure. 

O send me down a draught of love, 
Or take me hence to drink above ; 
Here Marah's water fills my cup, 
But there all griefs are swallowed up. 

Lave here is scarce a faint desire, 
But there the spark's a flaming fire. 
Joys here are drops that passing flee ; 
But there an overflowing sea. 

My faith, that sees so darkly here, 
Will there resign to vision clear ;• 
My hope, that's here a weary groan, 
Will f o fruition yield the throne. 

Here fetters hamper freedom's wing, 
But there the captive is- a king ; 
And grace is like a buried seed, 
But sinners there are saints indeed. 

Thy portion here's a crumb at best, 
But there, the Lamb's eternal feast \ 
My praise is now a smother'd fire, 
But there I'll sina and never tire, 

Now dusky shadows cloud my day, 
But then the shades will flee away ; 
My Lord will break the dimming glass, 
And shew his glory face to face. 

My num'rous foes now beat me down, 
But then 'I'll wear the victor's crown ; 
Yet all the revenues I'll bring 
To Zion's everlasting King. 



Sect. II. the believer's soliloquy. 253 

SECT. II. The deserted Believer's prayer under com- 
plaints of unbelief, darkness y deadness y and hardness. 

"^T/£7' HAT means this wicked, wand'ring heart ? 

▼ » This trembling ague of my soul ? 
Would Jesus but a look impart, 

One look from him would make me whole* 
But will he turn to me his face, 

From whom he justly did withdraw ? 
To me that slighted all that grace 

I in my past experience saw ? 
Lord, for thy promise sake, return, _ 

Apply thy pard'ning, cleansing blood ; 
Look down with pity on a worm, 

With cov'nant- mercy do me good. 
When thy free Spirit the word applies^ 

And kindly tells me thou art mine, 
My faithless, sinking heart, replies, 

Ah, Lord ! I wish I could be thine. 
My faith's so 'nighted in my doubts, 

I cast the offer'd good aw r ay ; 
And lose, by raising vain disputes, 

The wonted blessings of the day. 
Was e'er one press'd with such a load, 

Or pierc'd with such an unseen dart : 
To find at once an absent God, 

And yet, alas ! a careless heart ; 
Such grief as mine, a griefless grief, 

Did ever any mortal share ? 
An hopeless hope, a lifeless life, 

Or such unwonted careless care ; 
5 Tis-sad, Lord ! when for night's solace, 
Nor moon, nor starry gleams appear : 
Yet worse, when in this dismal case 

My heart is harden'd from thy fear. 



254? GOSPEL SOXNETS. Part V, 

'Twas not because no show'rs did flow 

Of heav'nly manna at my door j 
But by my folly I'm into 

A worse condition than before. 
Come, Lord, with greater pow'r ; for why, 

Mine sure is not a common case : 
Thou offer'st to unvail •, yet I 

Do scarce incline to see thy face. 
Such languid faint desires I feel 

Within this wicked, stupid heart ; 
I should, I would, but that I will 

I hardly dare with truth assert. 

to be free of thaPvile wrack, 

That basely keeps me from my God 1 

1 flee from thee, Lord, bring me back 

By tender love, or by thy rod. 
In paths of righteousness direct, 

New proofs of thy remission give ; 
Then of thy name I'll mention make 

With grateful praises while I live. 
On banks of mercy's boundless deep, 

With swifter ease I'll soar and sing, 
Than kings of feather 'd hosts, that sweep 

The oozy shore with easy wing. 
But if thy mind omniscient know 

I'm for this absent bliss unfit, 
Give grace to hate my sins, and to 

Their righteous punishment submit* 
But let me ne'er my Spirit lack, 

That by his aid my pray'rs may come 
Before him, who can wisely make 

Ev'n distance lead his people home. 
Deep wisdom can my soul prepare 

By present woes for absent bliss. 
By acid griefs that now I share, 

He can convey the joys I miss.. 



S*Ct. Ill, THE BELIEVER'S SOLILOQUY. Zob 

Who all from nothing's womb disclos'd 

Can make th' amazing product cease ; 
With him our order is confus'd, 

By him confusidn brings forth peace. 
Then, Lord, ne'er let me basely spurn 

Against thy searchless, unknown ways ; 
But magnify thy work, and turn 

My groans and murmurs into praise. 
Let me submissive, while I live, 

Thy awful justice own with fear ; 
Yet pensive let me never grieve 

Thy tender mercy by despair. 
Since though by sin I foully swerv'd, 

And loudly from my glory fell, 
I'm chasten'd here, and not reserv'd 

To feel the weight of sin and hell. 
Thy high right hand's once joyful days 

In my distress I'll call tojmind •, 
Ajid awn that all thy darkest ways 

Will clearly prove thee good and kind, 

SECT. III. — The . Believer ivading through deeps of ds* 
seftion and corruption. 

TT O R D, when thy face thou hid'st, 
-*-* And leav'st me long to plore, 
I faithless doubt of all thou didst 

And wrought 'st for me before. 
No marks of love I find, 

No grains of grace, but wracks \ 
No track of heav'n is left behind, 

No groans, no smoaking flax. 
But say, if all the gusts 

And grains of love be spent, 
Say, Farewell, Christ, and welcome lusts : 

Stop, stop •, I melt, I faint. 
Y 



2:56(257) Gosfel soxnets. PartV. 

Lord, yet thou hast my heart, 

This bargain black I hate ; 
I dare not, cannot, will not part 

With thee at such a rate. 
Once, like a father good, 

Thou didst with grace perfume j 
Wast thou a father to conclude 

With dreadful judge's doom ? 
Confirm thy former deed, 

Reform whajt is defil'd *, 
I was, I am, I still abide 

Thy choice, thy charge, thy child. 
Love- seals thou didst impart, 

Lock'd up in mind I have ; 
Hell cannot rase out of my heart 

What Heav'n did there engrave. < 
Thou once didst make me whole 

By thy almighty Jiand : 
Thou mad'st me vow and gift my soul ; 

Both vow and gift shall stand. 
But, since my folly gross, 

My joyful cup did spill, 
Make me the captive of thy^cross, 

Submissive to thy will. 
Self in myself I hate, 

That's matter of my groan ; 
Nor can I rid me -from the mate 

That causes me to moan. 
O frail, inconstant flesh ! 

Soon trapt in ev'ry gin ; 
Soon turn'd, o'erturn'd, and so a-fresk J 

Plung'd in the gulph of sin. 
Shall I be slave to sin, 

My Lord's most bloody foe ! 
I feel its pow'rful sway within, 

How long shall it be so ? 



Sect. IV. THE BELIEVER'S SOLILOQUY. (258) 259 

How long, Lord, shall I stay ? 

How long in Mesech here ? 
Dishon'ring thee from day to day, 

Whose name's to me so dear ? 
While sin, Lord, breeds my grief, 

And makes me sadly pine ; 
With blinks of grace, O grant relief, 

Till beams of glory shine, 

SECT. IV. — Complaint of sin, sorrow, and want of 
love, 

IF black doom by desert should go, 
Then, Lord, my due desert is death \ 
Which robs from souls immortal joy, 

And from their bodies mortal breath. 
But in so great a Saviour, 

Can e'er so base a worm's annoy 
Add any glory to thy pow*r, 

Or any gladness to thy joy ? 
Thou justly may'st me doom to death, 

And everlasting flames of fire ; 
But on a wretch to pour thy wrath 

Can never sure be worth thine ire. 
Since Jesus the atonement was, 

Let tender mercy me release ; 
Let him be umpire of my cause, 

And pass the gladsome doom of peace* 
Let grace forgive, and love forget 

My base, my vrle apostacy ; 
And temper thy deserved hate 

With love and mercy towards me. 
The ruffling winds and raging blasts 

Hold me in constant cruel chace ; 
They break my anchors, sails, and nmsts, 

Allowing no reposing place. 



r :60 GOSPEL sonnets. Part V* 

The boisf rous seas with swelling floods^ 

On every side against me fight, 
Heav'n, overcast with stormy clouds, 

Dims all the planets' guiding light. 
The hellish furies lie in wait, 

To win my soul into their powT ; 
To make me bite at ev'ry bait, 

And thus my killing bane devour, 
I lie enchain'd in sin and thrall, 

Next border unto black despair ; 
Till grace restore, and of my fall 

The doleful ruins all repair, 
My hov'ring thoughts would flee to glore, 

And nestle safe above the sky ; 
Fain would my trembling ship ashore 

At that sure anchor quiet lie- 
But mounting thoughts are haled down 

With heavy poise of corrupt load $ 
And blustering storms deny with frown 

An harbour of secure abode. 
To drown the weight that wakes the blast, 

Thy sin-subduing grace afford ; 
The storm might cease, could I but cast 

This troublous Jonah over-board. 
: Base flesh, with fleshly pleasures gain'dj, 

Sweet grace's kindly suit declines : 
When mercy courts me for its friend/ 

Anon my sordid flesh repines. 
Soar up, my soul, to Tabor hill, 

Cast off this lothsome, pressing load ; 
Lf>ng is the date of thine exile, 

While absent from the Lord thy God. 
Dote not on earthly weeds and toys, 

Which do not, cannot suit thy taste : 
The flow'rs of everlasting joys 

Grow up apace for thy repast. 



Sect. V. THE believer's joiktu^f,, 259 

Sith that the glorious God above 

In Jesus bears a love to thee ; 
How base, how brutish is thy love 

Of any being less than he ? 
Who for thy love did choose thy grief, 

Content in love to live and die : 
Who lov'd thy love more than his life, 

And with his life thy love did buy. 
Since then the God of richest love 

With thy poor love enamour'd is ; 
How high a crime will thee reprove 

If not enamour'd deep with his ? 
Since on the verdant field of grace 

His love does thine so hot pursue * % 
Let love meet love with chaste embrace, 

Thy mite a thousand-fold is due. 
Rise, love, thou early heav'n, and sing,"] 

Young little dawn of endless day : 
I'll on thy mounting fiery wing 

In joyful raptures melt away. 

SECT, V. — The deserted SouVs prayer for the Lord's 
gracious and sin-subduing presence, 

^LT I N D Jesus, come in love to me, 
-"^ And make no longer stay ; 
Or else receive my soul to thee, 

That breathes to be away. 
A Lazar at thy gate I lie, 

As well it me becomes, 
For children's bread asham'd to cry : 

O grant a dog the crumbs. 
My wounds and rags my need proclaim. 

They needful help insure : 
My wounds bear witness that Fm lame, 

My rags that I am poor. 
Y3 



2£0 gospel sonnets. . Part V. 

Thou many at thy door dost feed 

With mercy when distrest ; 
O wilt thou not shew an alms deed 

To me among the rest ? 
None else can give my soul relief, 

None else can ease my moan, 
But he whose absence is my grief: 

All others joys be gone. 
How can I cease from sad complaint* 

How can I be at rest ? 
My mind can never be content 

To want my noble guest. 
Drop down, mine eyes, and never tire, 

Cease not on any terms, 
. Until I have my heart's desire, 

My Lord within mine arms. 
My heart, my hand, my spirits fail, 

When hiding oft' he goes \ 
My flesh, my foes, my lusts prevail, 

And work my daily woes. 
When shall I see that glorious sight 

Will all my sins destroy ? 
That Lord -of love, that lamp of light* 

Will banish all annoy ? 
O could I but from sinning cease, 

And wait on Pisgalvs hill, 
Until I see him face to face, 

Then should §iy soul be still. 
Rut since corruption cleaves to me 

While I in Kedar dwell ; 
O give me leave to long for thee, 

For absence is a hell. 
Thy glory should be dear to me, 

Who me so dear hast bought : 
O save from rend 'ring ill to thee 

For good which thou hast wrought, 



Sect. VI. THE BELIEVER^ SOLILOQUY . 26\ 

With fear I crave, with hope I cry, 

Oh promis'd favour send ; 
Be thou thyself, though changeling I 

Ungratefully offend* 

Out of thy way remove the lets, 

Cleanse this polluted den ; 
Tender my suits, cancel my debts : 

Sweet Jesus, say, Amen. 

SECT, VI. — The Song of Heaven, desired by Saints on 
Earth. 

AURORA vails her rosy face 
When brighter Phoebus takes her place ? 
So glad will grace resign her room 
To glory in the heav'nly home. 

Happy the company that's gone 

From cross to crown, from thrall to throne *, 

How loud they sing upon the shore, 

To which they sail'd in heart before ! 

Bless'd are the dead, yea, saith the word, 
That die in Christ the living Lord, 
And on the other side of death 
Thus joyful spend their praising breath : 

» c Death from all death has set us free, 
« And will our gain for ever be ; 
« Death loos'd the massy chain of wo, 
« To let the mournful captives go. 

" Death is to us a sweet repose ; 
" The bud was op'd to shew the rose ; 
" The cage was broke to let us fly, 
" And build our happy nest on high. 

« Lo, here we do triumphant reign, 
" And joyful sing in lofty strain ; 
" Lo, here we rest, and love to be, 
" Enjoying more than faith could see. 



252 GOSPEL SOXNETS. Part V 

* The thousandth part we now behold, 
"By mortal tongues was never told ; 
cc \y e g 0t a taste, but now above 
w We forage in the fields of love. 

« Faith once stole down a distant kiss, 
" Now love cleaves to the cheek of bliss » 
" Beyond the fears of more mishap 
" We gladly rest in glory's lap. 

11 Earth was to us a seat of war, 

u In thrones of triumph now we are. 

n We long'd to see our Jesus dear, 

" And sought him there, but find him here. 

" We walk in white without annoy, 
cc In glorious galleries of joy : 
" And crown'd with everlasting bays, 
* <« We rival Cherubs in their praise. 

" No longer we complain of wants, 
" We see the glorious King of saints, 
" Amidst his joyful hosts around, 
" With ail the divine glory crown'd. 

" We see him at his table head 
H With living water, living bread, 
" His cheerful guests incessant load 
" With all the plenitude of God. 

« We see the holy flaming fires, 
«* Cherubic and seraphic choirs ; 
" And gladly join with those on high, 
" To warble praise eternally. 

" Glory to God that here we came, 
" And glory to the glorious Lamb. 
" Our light, our life, our joy, our all, 
" Is in our arms, and ever shall. 

« Our Lord is ours, and we are his ; 
" Yea, now we see him as he is : 
«« And hence we like unto him are, 
« And full his glorious image share. 



9tect. VI. the believer's soLiLOQuy. 2G3 

" No darkness now, no dismal night, 
" No vapour intercepts the light > 
« We see for ever* face to face, 
" The highest Prince in highest place* 

i% This, this does heav'n enough afford) 
" We are for ever with the Lord : 
*« We want no more, for all is giv'n ; 
. i6 His presence is the heart of heav'n. 5 ' 

While thus I laid my listening ear 
Close to the door of heav'n to hear \ 
And then the sacred page did view, 
Which told me all 1 heard was true ; 

Yet shew ? d me that the hcav'nly song 
Surpasses ev'ry mortal tongue, 
With such unutterable strains 
As none in fett'ring flesh attains : 

Then said I, ** O to mount away, 
" And leave this clog of heavy clay ! 
".Let wings of time more hasty fly, 
« That I may join the songs op high/' 



GOSPEL SONNETS. 

Part VL 
THE BELIEVER'S PRINCIPLES, 

COXCERNIKG 

I. CREATION AND REDEMPTION. 
S. LAW AND GOSPEL. 

3. JUSTIFICATION AND SANCTIFICATION. 

4. FAITH AND SENSE. 

f . HEAVEN AND EARTH. 

CHAP. I. 

The Believer's Principles concerning Creation 
and Redemption;' or, Some of the first Prin- 
ciples of the Oracles of God. 



The First Chapter of Genesis compendised ; or, tJie First 

Seven Days Work t from the following Latin 

Lines Englished: 

TQRIMA dies cesium, & terram, lucemque, creavit. 
-*• Altera distendit spatium, discrimen aquarum. 
Tertia secernens undas, dat gramina terris. 
Ouarta creat solem et lunam, coelestiaque astra. 
Quinta dedit pisces, eadem genus omne volantum. 
Sexta tulit pecudes, hominem quoque quern Deus ipse 
Condidit ; inde operis requies lux septima fulsit. 



Scef I. the believer's pri kcifLe». 26| 

In English thus : 

1 . The first day heav'n, earth, light, Jehovah sent. 

2. The next, a water-sundring firmament. 

3. The third made dryland spring with flow'ry pride, 

4. The fourth set up bright lamps time to divide. 

5. The fifth, brought swimming fish and flying fowl. 

6. The sixth, earth's herds, and man to bear the rule- 

7. The seventh brought forthno more yet brought the 
The lab'ring creatures and Creator's rest, (best, 

Or thus ; • - 

The first day, at Jehovah's word, 
Did heav'n7 and earth, and light afford* 

The next, a firmament so wide 
As might the waters' course divide. 

The third, severing land from seas, 

Made earth produce herbs, grass, and trees. 

The fourth, sun, moon, and stars of light, 
Set up to rule the day and night. 

The fifth made fish in depths to move, 
And fowls to fly in air above. 

The sixth all earthly beasts did bring, 
And man to be the creatures' king. 

The seventh, of all these days the best, 
Was made for God and man to rest. 

Redemption work doth bring again 
The first of these to be the main. 

Fetching new heav'ns and earth in sight, 
And immortality to light. 

Since then the first is now the best, 
Keep well this pledge of endless rest. 



266 GOSPEL SONNETS. Pa*t VL 

The sum of Creation ■ 

All things from nothing, to their Sovereign Lord 
Obedient rose at his commanding word. 
Fair in his eye the whole creation stood ; 
He saw the building, and pronounc'd it good. 
And now each work (while nature's fabric stands) 
Loud for its wise and mighty Lord demands 
A rent of praise, a loud and lofty song, 
From ev'ry rational beholder's tongue. 

SECT. II.— Of Redemption. 

The mystery of the Redeemer's incarnation ; or God 
manifested in the flesh, 1 Tim. iii. 16. John i. 14«, 

"\7|7" HAT tho' the waters, struck with dread, 

* * Rise up and form a pyramid ; 
Tho' floods should gush from rocks and stones, 
Or living souls from wither 'd bones ? 
To hear of an incarnate God, 
Is yet more wonderful and odd ; ' 
Or to behold how God most high 
Could in our nature breathe and die. 
What though the bright angelic forms 
Degraded were to crawling worms ? 
These creatures were but creatures still, 
Transform'd at their Creator's will. 
Though creatures change a thousand ways, 
It cannot such amazement raise, 
Nor such a scene as this, display, 
Th' eternal Word a piece of clay. 
God-man a strange contexture fix'd : 
Yet not confused nor commix'd ; 
Yet still a mystery great and fresh, 
A Spirit infinite made flesh. 



Sect. III. THE BELIEVER'S PRINCIPLES. 26? 

What though when mthing heard his call, 
Nothing obey'd and brought forth all ? 
What though he nothing's brood maintain, 
Or all annihilate again ? 
Let nothing into being pass> 
Or back again to what it was ? 
But, lo ! the God of beings here, 
As turn'd to nothing doth appear. 
All heav'n's astonish'd at his form, 
The mighty God became a worm. 
Down Arian pride to him shall bow, 
He's Jesus and Jehovah too. 

The Sum of Redemption. 

With haughty mind to Godhead man aspir'd, 
With loving mind our manhood God desir'd ; 
Man was by pride from place of pleasure chas'd, 
God man by love in greater pleasure plac'd. 
Man seeking to ascend procur'd our fall, 
God yielding to descend reraov'd our thrall j 
The judge was cast, the guilty to acquit, 
The Sun defac'd to lend the shades the light. 

SECT. III.— Th Redeemer's Work. 

OR, 

Christ all in all, and our complete Redemption, 
A Gospel-Catechism^r^tfg- Christians. ? 

Question. 

KIND teacher, may I come to leara jj| 

In this abrupt address, ^a 

By framing questions that concern ' r$J 

Mv endless haooiness ? -W 



My endless happiness 



268 GOSPEL SONNETS. Part VL 

Answ. Yea' child ; but if you'd learn to run 

The great salvation-race, 
Know that the name of Christ alone 

-Can answer ev'ry case. 
Q. By sin, my God and all is lost, 

O where may God be found ? 
A. In Christ ; for so the Holy Ghost 

Shews by the joyful sound. 
Q. But how will God with sinful me 

Again be reconciled ? 
A. In Christ, in whom his grace to thee 

And favour is reveal'd. 
O. O how shall I a sharer prove, 

And see his glorious grace ? 
A. In Christ, the image of his love, 

And brightness of his face. 
Q. Where shall I seek all divirie store, 

And without fail obtain ? 
A. In Christ, in whom for evermore 

His fulness doth remain. 
Q. But how shall I escape and flee 

Th' avenging wrath of God ? 
A. In Christ, who bore upon the tree 

That whole amazing load. 
Q. Alas ! I'm daily apt to stray, 

How shall I heav'n-ward make ? \ 
A. Through Christ the consecrated way, 

Design'd for thee to take. 
Q. Ah ! where's my title, right, or claim, 

To that eternal bliss ? 
A. In Christ alone, that glorious name, 

The Lord our righteousness. 
Q. But who unfit can enter there, 
.» Or with such nasty feet ? 
A. Christ by his blood presents thee fair, 
* His Spirit makes thee meet. 



Sect. Ill, THE BELIEVER'S PRINCIPLES. 269 

Q. But may'nt my spirit, weak as grass, 

Fail ere it reach the length ? 
A. Jesus, the Lord thy righteousness, 

Will be the Lord thy strength. 
Q. May'nt' hellish hosts, and wicked foes> 

Sore by the way molest ? 
A. Christ is a friend to bridle those, 

And give the weary rest. 
Q. May'nt guilty conscience loudly brand> 

And all my comfort chase ? 
A. Christ, with a pardon in his hand, 

Can shew his smiling face. 
Q. Bui how can divine mercy vent, 

Where sins are great and throng? 
A. Christ is the channel with descent 

That mercy runs along. 
Q. But may not justice interpose, 

And stand in mercy's way ? 
A. Jesus did all the debt thou owes 

To divine justice pay. 
Q. Where shall mine eyes the pardon spy, 

Unto my saving good ? 
A. In Christ's free promise see it lie, 

In his atoning blood. 
Q. What ground have I to trust and say, 

The promise is not vain ? 
A. In Christ the promises are Yea, 

In him they are Amen. 
Q. But where is Christ himself, O where 

With promises so sweet ? 
A. Christ's in the promises, and there 

Thy faith and he may meet. 
Q. Is Christ in them, and they in Christ ? 

How shall I this descry ? 
A. His blood and Spirit therein list 

To seal and to apply. 



270 €Tt>SFEL SONNB3JS. Part VI. 

Q. 'Gainst legal fiery threats of wrath, 

Pray, what defence is best ? 
A. Christ's full obedience ey'd by faith ; 

There should the guilty rest. 
Q. But how shall faith be had ? Alas ! 

I find I can't believe. 
A» Christ is the author of that grace, 

And faith is his to give. 
Q. Ah ! when may faithless I expect 

He'll such a bliss bequeath ? 
A. He will of unbelief convict, 

And pave the way for faith. 
Q. Repentance must attend, but whence 

Shall I this grace receive ? i 

A. Christ is exalted as a prince 

All needful grace to give. 
Q. How can so vile a lump of dust 

Heart-holiness expect ? 
A. Christ by his Holy Spirit must 

This gradual change effect. 
Q. How shall I do the works aright 

I'm daily bound unto ? 
A. Christ in thee, by his Spirit's might, 

Works both to will and do. 
< g. How shall my maladies be heal'd, 

So sore molesting me ? 
A. Christ is the great Physician seal'd, 

The Lord that healeth thee. 
Q. By prayer I ought to seek his face, 

This course how shall I drive ? 
A. 'Tis Christ alone that has the grace 

And sp'rit of pray'r to give. 
O. Salvation- work is great and high, 

Alas ! what shall I do ? 
A. Christ as the Alpha thereof eye 5 

And the Omega too. 



Sect. III. THE BELIEVER'S PRINCIPLES. 2fl 

Q, What pillar then is most secure 

To build my hope upon ? 
A . Christ only the foundation sure, 

The living corner-stone, 
Q. When I'm with black pollution stain'd, 

How shall I cleansed be ? 
A. Christ is a fountain for that end ■ 

Set open wide for thee. 
Q. What shall I do, when plagues abound, 

With sorrows, griefs, and fears ? 
A, Christ has a balsam for thy wounds, 

A bottle for thy tears. 
Q. But is there any help for one 

That utterly is lost ? 
A, Christ saves from sin, and he alone, 

Ev'n to the uttermost. 
Q. But where shall I be safe at last 

From hell and endless death ? 
A. Christ is a refuge from the blast 

Of everlasting wrath. 
Q. But may'nt ev'n nat'ral death to me 

Become a dreadful thing ? 
A. Christ by his death in love t(j) thee 

Did ev'ry death unsting. 
Q. Why, Sir, is Christ the whole you say ? 

No answer else I find. 
A. Because, were Christ our all away, 

There's nothing left behind. 
Q. How can he answer ev'ry case, 

And help in ev'ry thrall ? 
A. Because he is the Lord of grace, 

Jehovah, all in all. 
Q. How is he present to supply, 

And to relieve us thus ? 
A. Because his glorious name is nigh* 

Jmmanuex, God with us. 
Z 



27*2 gosfel sonnets. Fart VL 

Q. Has he alone all pow'r to save, 

Is nothing left to man ? 
A. Yea, without Christ we nothing have. 

Without him nothing can. 
Q May'nt some from hence take latitude 

And room their lusts to please — 
If Christ do all, then very good, 

Let us take carnal ease ? 
A. Christ will in flaming vengeance come, 

With fury in his face, 
To damn his foes that dare presume, 

And thus abuse ru% grace. 



SECT. IV Faith and Works both excluded from tfa 

matter of justification before God, that redemption may 
appear to be only in Christ \ 



WHO dare an holy God address, 
With an unholy righteousness ? 
Who can endure his awful probe, 
Without perfection for their robe ? 
None could his great tribunal faca^ 
Were faith itself their fairest dress : - 
Faith takes the robe, but never brags 
Itself has ought but filthy rags. 
Faith claims no share, and works far less, 
In justice-pleasing righteousness ; 
The servant were to be abhorr'd, 
Would claim the glory of his lord. 
Blasphemous unbelief may claim 
The praises of the worthy Lamb ; 
But faith disclaiming all its best, 
Not on itself, but Christ, will mk 



Sect. IV. THE believer's principles. 57$ 

I'm sav'd and justify'd by faith, 
Which yet no saving value hath ; 
Nor e'er pretends to save from thrall. 
But in its object has its all. 
'Tis Christ alone saves guilty me, 
And makes my right to life so free, 
That in himself it stands alone : 
Faith takes the right, but gives me none, 
I dare not act with this intent, 
For acts of mine to draw the rent ; 
Nor do good works with this design, 
To win the crown by works of mine, 
I'd thus the promis'd grace forsake, 
Nor Jesus for my Saviour take ; 
Yea, this would dreadfully presume, 
And work mine own eternal doQm. 
Presumption cannot rise more high, 
I'd make the truth of God a lie, 
The God of truth a liar too ! 
What more mischief could Satan do ? 
Why, I'd discredit God's record 
Concerning Jesus Christ the Lord, 
His glorious and eternal Son, 
Whose blood has life eternal won. 
In him, says God, this life I give, 
In him shall therefore men believe, 
My gift embracing in their arms : 
None shall be sav'd on other terms. 
Vain man must stoop and freely take, 
Or else embrace a burning lake : 
Proud nature must submit to grace, 
And to the divine righteousness. 
In vain on works our hope is built^ 
Our actions nothing are but guilt : 
The best obedience of our own 
Dare not appear before his throne. 



274 _' GOSPEL sonnets. Part VI. 

What finite worm can bear the load, 
The fury of an angry God ? 
What mortal vigour can withstand 
The vengeance of his lifted hand ? 

The law can never save us now, 
To damn is all that it can do. 
Heav'n casts all righteousness of ours ; 
The law of works is out of doors. 

No merit, money, more or less, 
Can buy the gifts of righteousness. 
O may I take what heav'n does give : 
Jehovah, help me to believe ; 

And in that righteousness to trust, 
Which only makes a sinner just \ 
And then, the truth of faith to prove, 
Lord make my faith to work by love. 



:. L the believer's principles, 975 

CHAP. II. 
THE BELIEVERS PRINCIPLES, 

CONCERNING THE 

Law and Gospel. 

PARTICULARLY, 



} 

tion ) 



I. The Mystery 

1 ll e g ifference I Of Law and Gospel, 

3. The Harmony 

4b The Place and Station 



SECT. I — The Mystery gf Law and Gospel. 

FT^HOUGH law-commands and gospel-grace 
-*- Agree in mutual joint embrace a y 
Yet law and gospel in a shock 
Can never draw an equal yoke I. 

The law of works, the law of grace. 
Can't stand together in one place ; 

a Rom. Hi. 31. Do we then make void the law through faith? 
God forbid ; yea, we establish the law. Gal. iii. 21. Is the law then 
against the promises of God ? God forbid : for if there had been a 
law given which could have giveii life, verily righteousness should 
have been by the law. 

b Psalm cxxx. 3, 4. If thou, Lord, should mark iniquities, O 
Lord, who shall stand ? But there is forgiveness with thee, that 
thou mayest be feared, v. 7, 8. Let Israel hope in the Lord : for 
with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemp- 
tion. And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities. And 
cxliii. 2. G Lord, enter not into judgment with thy servant: for 
in thy sight shall no man living be iHStified. */. 8. Cause me to 
hear thy loving- kindness in the morning, for in thee do I trust; 
cause me to knew the way wherein 1 should walk, for 1 lift up my 
soul unto thee. 



276 gospel soknets. Part VL 

The brighter scene destroys the dark, 
As Dagon fell before the ark c. 

They harmonize like marry'd pairs d 9 
Yet are at odds, and keep not squares e : 
As mercy stands from merit far, 
The letter and the spirit jar/*. 

The law does gospel-comforts harm, 
The gospel breaks the legal arm g \ 

c Rom. xvi. 14, 15. Sin shall not have dominion over you; for 
ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then ? shall we 
sin, hecause we are not under the law, but under grace ? God for- 
bid. Chap. vii. 4, 5, 6. Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are be- 
come dead to the hw by the body of Christ ; that ye should be 
married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that 
we should bring forth fruit unto God. For when we were in the 
flesh, the motions of sins which were by the law did work in our 
members to bring forth fruit unto death. But now we are deliver- 
ed from the law, that being dead wherein we were held ; that we 
should serve in newness of spirit, and not in theoldness of the let- 
ter. 2 Cor, iii. 7, — 10. But if the ministration of death, tvritteri 
and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel 
could not behold the face of Moses, for the glory of his countenance, 
which glory was to be done away ; how shall not the ministration 
of the Spirit be rather glorious? For if the iniriistrajtiori of con- 
demnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righte- 
ousness exceed in glory. For even that which was made glorious, 
hath no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that escel- 
leth. 

d Gal. iii. 24. Wherefore the law was our school- master to bring 
us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 

e Rom. xi. 6. And if (election be) by grftce, then is it no more 
of works; otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be 
of. works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more 
work. 

f2 Cor. iii. 6. The letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. 

g Heb. ii. 15. And deliver them who through fear of death were 
all their life-time subject to bondage. Phil. iii. 7, 8, 9. But what 
things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea, 
doubtless, and I count all things but loss, for the excellency of the 
knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord; for whom ! have suffered the 
loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win 
Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, 
which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ* 
the righteousness which is of God by faith. 



Sect. I. THE BELIEVER'S PRINCIPLES. 277 

Yet both exalt each other's horn, 

And garlands bring their head t' adorn //. 

I through the law am dead to it, 
To legal works and self-conceit * ; 
Yet, lo ! through gospel-grace I live, 
And to the law due honour give k. 

The law great room for boasting makes, 
But grace my pride and boasting breaks / ; 
Yet all my boasts the law do kill m> 
And grace makes room to boast my fill n. 

The gospel makes me keep the law 0, 
Yet from its painful service-draw/? 5 

b Gal. ii. 19. For I through the law am dead to the law, that I 
might live unto God. * 

i Rom. vii. 6, But now we are delivered from the law, that be- 
ing dead wherein we were held ; that we should serve in newness 
of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. v* 9. For I was a- 
live without the law once; but when the commandment came, 
sin revived, and 1 died. 

k Rom. vii. 4. Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead 
te the law by the body of Christ ; that ye should be married to a- 
nother, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should 
bring forth fruit unto God. And x. 4. Christ is the end of the law 
for righteousness to every one that believeth. 

/Rom, vii. 4. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By 
what law ? of works ? Nay ; bui by the law of faith. 

in Rom. iii. 19. Now we know that what things soever the 
law saith, it saith to them who are under the law ; that every 
mouth may be stopped, and all the worid may become guilty be- 
fore God. 

« 1 Cor. i. 29, SO, 31. That no flesh should glory in his presence, 
But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us 
wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: 
thSiy according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in 
the Lord. 

o Titus ii. 11, 12. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation 
hath appeared to all men ; teaching us, that denying ungodliness 
and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly 
in this present world. 

p Gal. v. 1. Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ 
hath made us free, and lie not eatangled again with the yoke of 
bondage. 



27S gospel sonnets. Part VI >~ 

It does all law-demands fulfil q, 
Yet makes them wholly void and null r. 

The gospel gives me no command s, 
Yet by obeying it I stand jy 
To strict obedience though I call t, 
Does bind to none, but promise all u. 

The law does strict commandment give 
That I the gospel-news believe v ; 
But yet it teaches no such thing, 
Nor e'er could gospel-tidings bring w. 

q Rom. viii. 3, 4. For what the law could not do, in that it was 
weak through the flesh, God did, sending his own Son, in the like- 
ness of sinful flesh, and for sin condemned sin in the flesh; that the 
righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not af- 
ter the flesh, but after the Spirit. 

r Rom. vi. 14. Sin shall not have dominion over you; for ye are 
not under the law, but under grace. Gal. iv. 4. 5. But when the 
fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son made of a wo- 
man, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the 
law. 

s Gal. iii. 8. And the scripture foreseeing that God would justi- 
fy the Heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto A- 
braham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. 

/ Mirk xvi. 16. He that beiieveth and is baptized, shall be saved. 

t \ Thess. i. 7, 8. The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven, 
with his mighty angeli, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them 
that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesut 
Christ. 

u John iii. 17. God sent not his Son into the world to condemn 
the world ; but that the world through him might be saved. And 
xii. 47. And if any man hear my words and belie* ^ not, I judge 
him not ; for I came not to judge the world, but to save the 
world. Heb. viii. x. 11, 12. For this is the covenant that I will 
make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord ; -I 
will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts : 
and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people. 
And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man 
his brother, saying, Know the Lord; for all shall know me from 
the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighte- 
ousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no 
more. 

m John iii. 18. He that beiieveth on him is not condemned ; bat 
he that beiieveth not, is condemned already, because he hath not 
believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 

«ar Rom. x. S. For Moset deicribeth the righteousness whiqfe 



Sect. I. THE BELIEVER'S PRINCIPLES. #79 

When I the gospel- truth believe, 

Obedience to the law I give * , 

And when I don't the law * observe^ 

I from the gospel method swerve y. 

Yet if I do the law f obey, 

I am not in the gospel-way % y 

Which does no new obedience draw a, 

Yet is the gospel no new law b. 

As precepts to the law belong, 

Yet in the gospel field are throng c \ 

Curs'd ev'ry gospel- slighter is d, 

Yet all its office is to biess e> 

is of the law, That the man which doth these things shall live 
by them. And iii. 19. Now we know, that what things soever 
the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law : that every 
mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty be- 
fore God. 

x John iii. 18. He that beheveth on him is not condemned. 

* Viz- As it is a rule. 

y Titus ii. 11, 12. See letter o forecited, 

f Vi%. As it is a covenant. 

% Gal. v. 3, 4. For I testify again to every man that is circum* 
cised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become 
of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law ; 
ye are fallen from grace. 

a Rom. xvi. 25- 26. — The mystery which was kept secret since 
the world began, — now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of 
the prophets, according to the commandment of tne everlasting 
God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith. 

Gal. iii. 21. Is the law then against the promises of God ? God 
forbid : for if there had been a law given which could have given 
life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. 

c Matt. v. 17, — 48. Think not that I am come to destroy the 
law or the prophets : I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For 
verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one 
tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled, &c. 
Psalm cxix. 96. I have seen an end of all perfection ; but thy com- 
mandment is exceeding broad. 

d Heb. x. 16.— -29. For if we sin wilfully aft«r that we have re- 
ceived the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacri- 
fice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery 
indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised 
Moses* law, died without mercy, under two or three witnesses: 
of how much sorer punishment suppose ye, shall he be thought 
A a 



280 gospel sonnets. Part VI* 

It from the law has pow'r to kill/, 
Yet saving does its pow'r fulfil g : 
No savour but of life it hath A 9 
Yet most the savour is of death k 

Weakness perfection doth exclude, 
The law is perfect, just, and good k; 
Yet can it nothing perfect make, 
But ail the comers to it break /. 



worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of Cfod, and hath 
counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified, an 
unholy thing, and hath done despite unto tht Spirit of grace ? 
Chap. xii. 25. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh ; for if 
they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more 
shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from 
heaven. 

e Rom. xv. 29/ And I am sure, that when I come unto you, I shall 
come in the fulness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ. Andiii. 
26. Unto you first, God having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to 
bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities. 

/Johniii. 18.~He that believeth not, is condemned already, 
because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son 
cf God. Mark xvi. 16. He that btiieveth not shall be damned, 
Heb. ii. 3. How shall we escape if we neglect so great salva- 
tion ? 

g Eph. i. 13, In Christ ye also trusted after that ye h*ard the 
word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. 1 Tim. i. 15. This is 
a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus 
came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the chief. 

b Phil, ii 16. Holding forth the word of life, &c. 2 Tim. i. I. 
P^ul an apostle of Jesus Christ, by rhe will of God, according to the 
promise of life, which is in Christ Jesus. v> 10. — Our Saviour Je- 
sus Christ hath abolished death— and hath brought life and'irnmor- 
tahty to light through tht gospel. 

i 2 Cor. ii. 26, To the one were the savour of death ui to death, 
&c. 

k Psalm cxix. 96. I have seen an end of all perfection; but 
thy commandment is exceeding broad. Rom. vii. 12. Where- 
fore the law is holy; aud the commandment holy, and just, and 
good. Heb. vii. 19. For the law made nothing perfect, but the 
bringing in of a better hope did ; by the which we draw nigh un- 
to God. 

/ Heb. viii. 19. See letter k. Chap. x. I. For the law having 
a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the 
things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by 
year continually, make the comer* thereunto perfect. 



Sect. I. THE believer's principles. 281 

Strength to the gospel does belong, 
Mighty through God it is, and' strong m : 
It to the law does strength emit, • 
Yet 'tis the law gives strength to k. 
The gospel gives the law, I see, 
Sufficient strength to justify n ; 
Yet may I say, in truth it is 
The law that gives the gospel this o \ 
For as the law no sinner clears, 
But who the gospel-garment wears : 
So none are justify d by grace, 
Unless the law-demands have place/. 
Again the law, which yet seems worse, 
Gives gospel-news condemning force q ; 

m Rom. i. 16. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ : for * 
it is the power of God unto salvation, to every one that believetb, 
to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 2 Cor. x. 4, .5. For the 
weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God, 
to the pulling down of strong holds ; casting down imagination* 
and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of 
God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience 
of Christ. # 

n Rom. viii 1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them 
which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after 
the Spirit, v. 3, 4. For what the law could not do, in that it was 
weak thro* the flesh, God did, sending his own Son, in the like- 
ness of sinful flesh, and for sin condemned sin in the flesh : that the 
righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not af- 
ter the flesh, but after the Spirit. 

o Rom. iii. 31. Do we then make void the law through faith ? 
God forbid; yea, we establish the law. Chap. x. 4. For Christ is 
the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. 

p Rom. iii. 19., — 22. Now we know that what things soever the 
law saith, it saith to them who are under the law ; that every 
mouth may be stopped, and ail the world may become guilty before 
God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be 
-justified in his sight : for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But 
now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being 
witnessed by the law and the prophets ; even the righteousness of 
God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all,.and «pon all them 
that believe : for there is no difference. Chap. v. 1.9, — By the 
obedience of one shall many be made righteous, #*. 21.—.. 



282 gospel sonnets. Part VI, 

Yet they are news that never can,- 
Nor never will condemn a man r. 

Dread threat'nings to the law pertain /, 
Not to the gospel's golden chain / : 
Yet all law threats and Sinai's ire, 
To gospel-grace are walls of fire u. 

The righteous law assarleth none 
Of Adam's guilty race, save one v ; 
Who being guilty, for this cause 
By God's just law condemned was w. 
Yet free of guilt it did him see ; 
Hence fully clear d, and set him free x. 

Grace reigns througk righteousness unto eternal life, by Jesus 
Christ our Lord. 

q John iii. 18. He that believeth on him is not condemned; but 
he that believeth not* is condemned already, because he hath not 
believed in the name of the only begotren Son of God. 

r Luke ii. 10, 11. And the angel said unto them (the shepherds ; ) 
Fear not ; for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which 
shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day, in the city of 
David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. John iii 17. For God 
sent not his Son into the world, to condemn the world ; but that 
the workl through him might be saved. Chap. xii. 47. And if any 
man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came 
not to judge the world, but to save the world. 

j Gal. iii. 10. For as many as are of the works of the law, are 
' under the curse; for it is written, Cursed is every one thart eonti- 
nueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law 
to do them. 

t Acts xiii. 26. Men and brethren, children of the stock of Ab- 
raham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word 
of this salvation sent. 

u Mark xvi. 16, — He that believeth not, shall be damned. Heb. 
Ii. 3. How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation ? Chap. 
X. 26,-29. See letter d ferecited. 

i Rom. v. 19- For as by one man's disobedience many were made 
sinners: so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. 
John xvii* 4. I have glorified thee on the earth : I have finished 
the work which thou gavest me to do. 

rjj Is3. liii. 6.— The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. 
Gal. iii. IS- Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, 
being made a curse for us : for it is written, Cursed is every one 
that hangeth on a tree. 

x Iieb. vii. 26. For such an high priest became us, who is holy. 



Sect. I. THE BELIEVER'S fMNCIPLES. 283 

Yet, had not guilt his soul involv'd, 
By law he could not been absolved y. 
But he withal cendemn'd and spoil'd 
The law of works, which him assoiPd z : 
And now the law is (in these views) 
The marrow of the gospel news a. 
The law can justify no man 
That is a sinner l y yet it can 

harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than 
the heavens. Dan. ix. 24. Seventy weeks are determined upon thy 
people, and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to 
make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to 
bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and pro- 
phecy, and to anoint thelnost holy. 1 Tim. iii. 16. And without 
controversy, great is the mystery of Godliness ; God was manifest 
in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the 
Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. Rom, 
ii. 13, For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the 
doers of the law shall be justified. Isa. 1. 8. He is near that justi- 
fieth me, who will contend with me ? let us stand together, who s 
mine adversary? let him come near to me. 

y 2 Cor. v. 21 . God hath mada Christ to be sin for us, who knew 
no sin ; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 
1 Pet, iii. 18. Christ hath once suffered for sins, the just for the un- 
just, (that he might briDg us to God) being put to death: 
flesh, but quickened by the Spirit. 

% Col. ii. 14, 15. Blotting out the hand-writing of ordinances 
that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of 
the way, nailing it to his cross, and having spoiled principalities and 
powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in 
it. Rom. viii. 3. For what the law could not do, in that it was 
weak through the flesh, God did, sending his own Son, in the like- 
ness of sinful flesh, and for sin condemned sin in the flesh. 

a Rom. x. 4. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness,, 
to every one that believeth. Isa. xlv. 24. Surely shall one say, In 
the Lord have I righteousness and strength. Jer. xxiii. 6, In his 
days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely ; and this it 
his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGH- 
TEOUSNESS. 

b Rom. iii. 19, 20. Now we know that what things soever the 
law faith, it faith to them who are under the law, that, every 
mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before 
God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be 
justified in his sight; for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 

Aa3 



284?' GOSPEL SONtfETS. F^tt VL 

Thus favour sinful men, and free 
The chief of sinners, guilty me e : 

The gospel too acquitted none 
That have not put perfection on d ; 
And yet it cleareth none (t grant) 
But those who all perfection want c. 

Those that with gospel-clearance meet, 
Must by the law be found complete f\ 
Yet never could (again I grant) 
The gospel justify a saint g. 

e The law of works, as fulfilled by Christ, can -and does so. Rom. 
viif. 3. For what the law could not do 5 in that it was weak through 
fche flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, 
andfor sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that the righteousness of the 
law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after 
the Spirit. i>. 33, 34. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of 
God ? s elect? It is God that justifieth ; who is he that con- 
demneth ? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again; 
who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession 
for us. 

d Rom. iii. 21, 22. But now the righteousness of God without 
the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the pro- 
phets ; even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus 
Christ unto all, and upon all them that believe, for there is no dif- 
ference. 

e Rom. iv. 5. To him that worketh not, but believeth on 
him that justifieth trje ungodly, his faith is counted for righteous- 
ness. 

/ t Cor. i. 30. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is 
made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification and re- 
demption. Col. ii. 10. And ye are' complete in him, which is the 
head of all principality and power. 

g Matth. ix. 13,-1 am not come to. call the righteous, but sin- 
ners to repentance. Rom. iii. 10. There is none righteous,.nonot 
one. Chap. ix. 30, SI, 32. What shall we say shen ? That the 
Gentiles which followed not after righteousness, have attained to 
righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith : but Israejl 
which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to 
the law of righteousness. Wherefore ? because they sought it not by 
faith, but as it were by the works of the law. Chap. x. S. Israel 
being ignorant of God*s righteousness, and going about to establish 
iheir own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the 
righteousness of God. 1 Tim. i. 15. This is a faithful raying, and 
worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world ta 
*aYc sinjaers, of whom I am chief. 



Sect. I. THE believer's principles. 285 

All perfect persons it controuls h> 
And justifies ungodly souls i ; 
Yet still no man its grace partakes, 
But whom it truly godly makes k. 

The law withstands the gospel path /, 
Which yet its approbation hath m ; 



h Mat. xxl 31. Jesus saith unto them (the Pharisees) Verily, I 
say unto you, that the publicans and the harlots go into the king- 
dom of God before you. Luke xviii.. 19, — 14. And Jesus spake 
this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were 
righteous, and despised others : Two men went up into the temple 
to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a Publican. The Pha- 
risee stood and prayed thus with himself: God, I thank thee that 
I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even 
rs this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that 
I pos-ess. And the publican standing afar off, would not lift up so 
much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, 
God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you this man went down 
to his house justified rather than the other ; for every one that ex- 
alteth himself, shali be abated ; and he that humbleth himself, 
shall be exalted, v. 21, 22. And he (the ruler) said, All these 
have I kept from my youth up. Now when Jesus heard these 
things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing; sell all tjhat 
thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shah have trea- 
sure in heaven, and come, follow me. 

i Rom. iv. 5,6. To him that worketh not, but believeth on him 
that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. 
Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man »nto 
whom God imputeth righteousness without works. 

k Titus ii. 11, — 14. The grace of God that bringeth salvation, 
hath ippeared to all men ; teaching us, that denying ungodliness, 
and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly 
in this present world ; looking for that blessed hope, and the glo- 
ous appearing of the great God, even our Saviour Jesus Christ; 
who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniqui- 
ty, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good 
works. Cm p. iii. 4, 5. After that the kindness and love of God 
our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of- righteousness 
which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by 
the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Hely Ghost.— 
*u» 8. This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou af- 
firm constantly, that they which have believed in God, might be 
careful to maintain good works : these things are good and profit- 
able unto men. 



286 GOSPEL SONNETS, Part VL 

The gospel thwarts -the legal way n y 
Yet will approve the law for ay o. 

Hence though the gospel's comely frame 
Doth openly the law condemn^ : 
Yet they are blind who never saw 
The gospel justify the law q. 

Thus gospel-grace, and law-commands, 
Both bind and loose each other's hands : 
They can't agree on any terms r, 
Yet hug each other in their arms_/I 



1 1 Cor. xv. $6. — The strength of sin Is the law. Rom. vi. I4 a 

Sin shall not have dominion over you ; for ye are not under the 

law, but under grace. Chap. x. 3, Israel being ignorant of God's 

righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteous- 

, ness of God. 

m Isa. xlii. 21. The Lord is well pleased for his righteousness 
sake, he will magnify the law, and make it honourable. Matth. 
ill- 17, Andlo, a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved 
Son, in whom I am well pleased. 

?i Rom. ix. 31, 32, 33. But Israel which followed after the law 
of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.—- 
Wherefore ? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by 
the works of the law ; for they stumbled at that stumbling-stone • 
as it is written, Behold I lay in Zion a stumbling-stone, and a rock 
of offence ; and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 
•■■ o Rom. vii. 7. What shall we say then? Is the law sin ? God 
forbid. Nay, I had not known sin but by the law; for I had not 
•known lust except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. i>. 10. 
Aed the commandment which was ordained to life, I found to be 
unto death. *». 12, Wherefore the law is holy ; and the command- 
meat holy, and just, and good. 

• p Rom. v. 5,-9. For Moses describeth the righteousness which 
k of the law, That the man which doth those things, shall live by 
them. But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this 
wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven ? (that 
i*, to bring down Christ from above :) or, Who shall descend into 
the deep ? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But 
what saith it ? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in 
thy heart ; that is, the word of faith which we preach, That if 
thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and sh?lt be- 
lieve in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou 
shah be saved. 

> q Rom. iii. 31. Do we then make void the law through faith I 
God forbid; yea, we establish the law. 



Sect. I. the believer's principles. 2S7 

Those that divide them cannot be 
The friends of truth and verity s ; 
Yet those that dare confound the two, 
Destroy them both, and gender wo t. 

This paradox none can decypher, 
That plow not with tta gospel-heifer. 



r Gal iv. 21, — 26. Tell me, ye thai desire to be under the late* 
do ye not hear the law ? For it is written, that Abraham had two 
sons; the one by a bond-maid, the other by a free- woman. But 
he who was of the bond-woman was born after the flesh ; but he 
of the free woman was by promise. Which things are aft alle- 
gory ; for those are the two covenants; the one from the mount 
Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. For thh Agar 
is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem, which now 
is, and is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem which is 
above is free, which is the mother of us all. 

f Psalm lxxxiv. 10, Mercy and truth are met together; righte- 
ousness and peace have kissed each other. 

r Matth. xiii. 23, Wo unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; 
for ye pay tithe of mint and rni e, and cummin, and have omit- 
ted the weightier matter of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith; 
these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. 
Rom. ii. 23, Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through 
breaking the law., dishonourest thou God ? *u. 25, 26. For circum- 
cision verily profiteth nothing, if thou keep the law; but if thou 
be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision. 
Therefore, if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, 
shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision ? Matth. 
xix. 6, What God hath joined together, let no man put asunder. 
Chap. iii. 15. And Jesus answering, said unto him, (John,) Sufftr 
it to be so now : for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. 
Then he suffered him. Chap. v. 17. Think not that I am come to 
destroy the law or the prophets : I am not come to destroy, but 
to fulfil, v. 19, 20. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these 
least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called 
the least in the kingdom of heaven ; but whosoever shall do, and 
teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of hea- 
ven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall ex- 
ceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no 
case enter into the kingdom of heaven. 1 John v. 6. This is he that 
came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ ; not by water only, 
but by water and blood; and it is the Spirit that beareth witness, 
because the Spirit is truth. 

t Gal. i. 6, 7, 8. I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him 
that called you into the grace of Christ, unto another gospel; which 



288 gospel sonnets. Part VI. 

SECT. II. — The difference between the Law and the, 
Gospel. 

npHE law, supposing I have all, 
-*■ Does ever for perfection call ; 
The gospel suits. my total want, 
And all the law can seek does grant. 

the law could promise life to me, 
If my obedience perfect be : 
•Bur grace does promise life upon 
My Lord's obedience alone. 

The law says v Do, and life you'll win : 
But grace says, Live, for all is done j 
The former cannot ease my grief, 
The latver yields me full relief. 

By law convinced of sinful breach, 
By gospel-grace I comfort reach : 
The one my condemnation bears, 
The other justifies and clears. 

The law shews my arrears are great, 
The gospel freely pays my debt: 
The first does me the bankrupt curse, 
•The last does bless and fill my purse. 

is not another ; but there be some that trouble you, and which per a 
vert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heav- 
en, preach any other gospel unto you, than that which we have 
preached unte you, let him be accursed. Zeph. i. 4, — I will cut off 
— v. 5, — them that worship, and that swear by. the Lord, and that 
swear by Malcham, -Acts xv. 7, And when there had been much 
disputing, Peter rose up and. said unto them, Men and brethren, ye 
know, that a good while ago, God made choice among us, that the 
Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and be- 
lieve. <v. 10, 1 1. Now therefore, why tempt ye God to put a yoke 
upon the neck of the disciples, which neither, our fathers nor we 
were able to bear ? But we believe, that through the grace of the 
Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved, even as the y. Gal. v. 1 . Stand 
fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, 
and be not entangled again in the yoke of bondage, v. 4. Christ 
is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by 
the law ; ye are fallen from grace. 



Sect. If. THE believer's principles. 289 

The law will not abate a mite, 
The gospel all the sum will quite : 
There God in threat'nings is array'd, 
But here in promises display'd. 
The law and gospel disagree, 
Like Hagar, Sarah, bond and free : 
The former's Hagar's servitude, 
The latter, Sarah's happy brood. 
To Sinai black, and Zipn fair, 
The work does law and grace compare. 
Their cursing and their blessing vie 
With Ebal and Gerizzim high. 
The law excludes not boasting vain, 
But rather feeds it to my bane : 
But gospel-grace allows no boasts, 
Save in the King, the Lord of hosts. 
The law still irritates my sin, 
And hardens my proud heart therein ; 
But grace's melting power renews, 
And my corruption strong subdues, 
The law with thunder, Sinai-like, 
Does always dread and terror speak ; 
The gospel makes a joyful noise, 
And charms me with a still, calm voice. 
The legal trumpet war proclaims, 
In wrathful threats, and fire, and flames : 
The gospel-pipe, a peaceful sound, 
Which spreads a kindly breath around. 
The law is weak through sinful flesh, 
The gospel brings recruits afresh : 
The first a killing letter wears, 
The last a quick ning spirit bears. 
The law that seeks perfection's height, 
Yet gives no strength, nor offer* might ; 
But precious gospel-tidings giad, 
Declare where all is to be had. 



29Q GOSPEL SONNETS. Part VI*. 

From me alone the law does crave, 
What grace affirms in Christ I have ; 
When therefore law-pursuits inthral, 
I send the law to grace for all. 
The law brings terrors to molest, 
The gospel gives the weary rest : 
The one does flags of death display, 
The other shews the living way. 
The law by Moses was exprest, 
The glorious gospel came by Christ : 
The first dim nature's light may trace, 
The last is only known by grace. 
The law may rouse me from my sloth 
To faith and to repentance both*: 
And though the law commandeth each, 
Yet neither of them can it teach, 
Nor will accept for current coin 
The duties which it does injoin \ 
It seeks all, but accepts no less 
Than constant, perfect righteousness. 
The gospel, on the other hand, 
Although it issue no command, 
But strictly view'd, does whole consist 
In promises and offers blest \ 
Yet does it many duties teach, 
Which legal light could never reach : 
Thus faith, repentance, and the like, 
And fire that gospel-engines strike. 
They have acceptance here through grace, 
The law affords them no such place : 
Yet still they come through both their hands 
Through gospel-teaching, law commands. 
The law's a house of bondage sore, 
The gospel opes the prison-door : 
The first me hamper'd in its net, 
The last at freedom kindly set. 



CSlbtp. II. THE BELIEVERS PRINCIPLES. 291 

The precept craves, the gospel gives 5 
While that me presses, this relieves \ 
And or affords the strength I lack, 
Or takes the burden off my back. 

The law requires on pain of death ; 
The gospel courts with loving breath : 
While that conveys a deadly wound, 
This makes me perfect, whole, and sound* 

There viewing how diseas'd I am, 
I here perceive the healing balm : 
Afflicted there with sense of need, ■■ 
But here refresh'd with meet remedei 

The law's a charge for what I owe ; 
The gospel my discharge to show : 
The one a scene of fears doth ope $ 
The other is the door of hope. 

An angry God the law reveal'd ; 
The gospel shews him reconcH'd : 
By that I know he was displeased ; 
By this I see his wrath appeas'd. 

The law thus shews the divine ire, 
And nothing but consuming fire. 
The gospel brings, the olive-branch, 
And blood the burning fire to quench. 

The law still shews a fiery face ; 
The gospel shews a throne of grace : 
There justice rides alone in state \ 
But here she takes the mercy-seat. 

IN SUM. 

Lo ! in the law Jehovah dwells, 

But Jesus is coriceal'd ! 
Whereas the gospel's nothing else 

But Jesus Christ reveal'd. 
Bb 



292 GOSPEL SONNETS. Part VI. 

SECT. Ill — The Harmony betwixt the Law and the 
Gospel. 

fipHE law's a tutor much in vogue, 
-*- To gospel-grace a pedagogue ; 
The gospel to the law no less 
Than its full end for righteousness : 

When once the fiery law of God 
Has chas'd me to the gospel road ; 
Then back unto the'holy law 
Most kindly gospel-grace will draw. 

"When by the law to grace I'm school'd j 
Grace by the law will have me rul'd : 
Hence, if I don't the law obey, 
I cannot keep the gospel- way. 

When I the gospel-news believe, 
V Obedience to the law I give: 
>;*' And that both in its fed'ral dress, 

And as a rule of holiness. 

Lo ! in my Head I render all 
For which the fiery law can call; 
His blood unto its fire was fuel, 
His Spirit shapes me to its rule. 

When law and gospel kindly meet, 
To serve each other both unite : 
Sweet promises, and stern commands, 
Do work to one another's hands. 

The divine law demands no less 
Than human perfect righteousness ; 
The gospel gives it this and more, 
Ev'n divine righteousness in store. 

Whate'er the righteous law require, 
The gospel grants its whole desire. 
Are law commands exceeding broad ? 
So is the righteousness of God. 



Chap. II. THE believer's PR1NCIPLS. 293 

How great soe'er the legal charge, 
The gospel-payment's equal large : 
No less by man the Jaw can bray. 
When grace provides a God to pay 
The law makes gospel banquets sweet ; 
The gospel makes the law complete : 
Law-suits to grace's store- house draw \ 
Grace decks and magnifies the law. 
Both law and gospel close combine, 
To make each other's lustre shine: 
The gospel all lawbreakers shames ; 
The law all gospel-slighters damns. 
The law is holy, just, and good •, 
All this the gospel seals with blood, 
And clears the royal law's just dues 
Which dearly purchas'd revenues. 
The law commands me to believe ; 
The gospel saving faith does give ; 
The law enjoins me to repent ; 
The gospel gives my tears a \enU 
What in the gospel-mint is coin'd, 
The same is in the law enjoin'd ; 
Whatever gospel-tidings teach, 
The law's authority doth reach. 
Here join the law and gospel hands, 
What this me teaches that commands : 
What virtuous forms the gospel please 
The same the law doth authorise. 
And thus the law-commandment seals 
Whatever gospel- grace reveals : 
The gospel also for my good 
Seals all the law-demands with blood. 
The law most perfect still remains, 
And ev'ry duty full contains ; 
The gospel its perfection speaks, 
And therefore gives whate'er it seeks* 



294 GOSPEL SCENES. Ffi£fc VI. 

Next, what by law I'm bound unto, 
The same the gospel makes me do : 
What preceptively that can crave. 
This effectively can engrave. 
All that by precepts Iieav'n expects* 
Tree grace by promises effects : 
To what the law by fear may move, 
To that the gospel leads by love. 
To run, to work, the law commands 5 
The gospel gives me feet and hands 1 
The one requires that I obey \ 
The other does the pow'r convey. 
What in the law has duty's place^ 
The gospel changes to a grace :_ 
Hence legal duties therein nanvd, 
Are herein gospel graces fam'd. 
The precept checks me when I stray { 
The promise holds me in the way : 
That, shews my folly when I roam, 
And this most kindly brings me home. 
Law-threats and precepts both, I see, 
With gospel-promises agree ; 
They to the gospel are a fence, 
And it to them a maintenance. 
The law will justify all those 
Who with the gospel -ransom close 5 
The gospel too approve for ay 
Ah those that do the law obey. 
The righteous law condemns each man 
That dare reject the gospel-plan \ 
The holy gospel none will save, 
On whom it won't the law engrave. 
When Christ the tree of life I climb, 
I see both law and grace in him : 
In him the law. its end does gain ; 
In him the promise is Amen. 



Ghap. II. THE BELIEVER'S PRINCIPLES. 29 S 

The law makes grace's pasture sweet, 
Grace makes the law my sav'ry meat : 
Yea, sweeter than the honey-comb, 
When grace and mercy bring it home. 
The precepts of the law me show 
What fruits of gratitude I owe - 9 
But gospel-grace begets the brood, 
And moves me to the gratitude. 
Law-terrors pause the putrid sore \ 
And gospel-grace applies the cure : 
The one plows up the fallow-ground, 
The other sows the seed around. 

A rigid master was the law, 
Demanding brick, denying straw ; 
But when with gospel tongue it sings, 
In bids me fly, and gives me wings. 

IN SUM. 

Both law and gospel close unite, 

Are seen with more solace, 
Where truth and mercy kindly meet, 

In fair Immanuel's faee. 

SECT. IV. — The proper Place and Station cf the Law 
and the Gospel. 

Note, That in the four following paragraphs, as well as 
in the three preceding sections, by law is mostly un- 
derstood the doctrine of the Covenant of Works \ and 
by gospel, the doctrine of the Covenant of Grace. 

Paragraph I.— The Place and Station gf Law an£ 
Gospel in general, 

~\&J r HEN we the sacred record view, 

* * Or divine Testaments Old and New ; 
The matter in most pages fix'd 
Is law and gospel intermix'd. * 

■ Bb3 



£96 GOSPEL sonnets* Part VI. 

Yet few, ev/n in a learned age, 
Can so resolve the sacred page, 
As to discern with equal eye, 
Where law, where gospel sever d lie. 

One divine text with double clause 
May speak the gospel's voice and law's* % 
Hence men to blend them both are apt, 
Should in one sentence both be wrapt. 

But that we may the truth pursue, 
And give both law and grace their due^ 
And God the glory there displayed, 
The following rules will give us aid. 

Where- e'er in sacred writ we see 
A word of grace or promise free, 
With blessings dropt for Jesus 5 sake$ 
We these for gospel-news may take. 

But where a precept strict we find 
With promise to our doing join-'d, 
Or threatening with a wrathful frown ; 
This as the law we justly otfn. 

* Ex.-gr. Lev. xx. 7. 8 Sanctify : y ourselves therefore, and-fte y* 

lioly ; for I am the Lord your God, And ye shall keep my sta- 
tutes, and do them : I am the Lord which sanctify you. 1 John iv. 
7. Beloved, let us love one another : for love is of God ; and every 
one that leverh, is borr> of God. and knovreth God. Rom. v. 21 . 
Thet as sin bath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign 
through righreou»ne3s unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord. 
Chap. vi. 23. For the wages of sin is death : but the gift of God 
is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Mark xvi. 15,16. 
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the 
gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized,sha!I 
be saved ; bot he that believeth not, shall he damned. John £11- 18. 
He that believeth on him, is not condemned : but he that believeth 
ndt, is condemned already; because he hath not believed on the 
r.ame cf the on y begotten Son of God, &c. 



Chap. II. THE believer's principles. 29? 



PARAGRAPH II. — The Place and Station of Law and 
Gospel in particular : Where the difference is noted 
betwixt the Qospel largely viewed in its dispensation, 
and strictly in itself ; and betwixt the gospel and faith 
receiving it* 

"^S^OULDST thou distinctly know the sound 

* * Of law and grace, then don't confound 
The dispensation with the grace ; 
For these two have a distinct place. 
The gospel thus dispens'd we see, 
\ Believe and thou shalt saved be 5? 
If not, thou shalt be damn'd to hell, 
And in eternal torments dwell. 
Here precepts in it are dispens'd, 
With threat'nirjgs of damnation fenc'd \ 
The legal sanction here takes place, 
That none may dare abuse free grace. 
Yet nor does that command of faith 
Nor this tremendous threat of wrath, 
Belong to gospel strictly so j 
But to its dispensation do. 
The method of dispensing here* 
Does law and gospel jointly bear ; 
Because the law's subservient 
Unto the gospel's bless'd intent. 
Precepts and threat'nings both make way, 
The gospel blessings to convey ; 
Which differs much (though thus dispens'd) 
From laws and threats whereby 'tis fenc'd. 
« Believe, and thou shalt saved be/ 
Is gospel, but improperly ; 
Yet safely men may call it thus, , 
Because 'tis so dispens'd to us. 



298 GOSPEL SONNETS. Part VI. 

But sure, the gospel-news we sing 
Must be some other glorious thing, 
Than precepts to believe the same, 
Whatever way we blend their name. 
The gospel-treasure's something more 
Than means that do apply the store : 
Believing is the method pav'd, 
The gospel is the thing believ'd. 
• The precious thing is tidings sweet 
Of Christ a Saviour most complete, 
To save from sin, and death, and, wrath j 
Which tidings tend to gender faith. 
Faith comes by hearing God's record 
Concerning Jesus Christ the Lord, 
And is the method Heav'n has blest 
For bringing to the gospel-rest. 
The joyful sound is news of grace, 
And life to Adam's guilty race, 
Through Jesus' righteousness divine, 
Which bright from faith to faith does shine. 
The promise of immortal bliss 
Is made to this full righteousness : 
By this our right to life is bought ; 
Faith begs the right, but buys it not. 
True faith receives the offer'd good, 
And promise seal'd with precious blood : 
It gives no title to the bliss 
But takes th' entitling righteousness. 
This object great of saving faith, 
And this alone the promise hath; 
For tio not made to faith's poor act, 
But is the prize that faith does take ; 
And only as it takes the same, 
It bears a great and famous najne v 
For self, and all its grandeur, down 
It throws, that Christ may wear the crown. 




i£hap. II. the believer's principles. 298 

But if new laws and threats were all 

That gospel properly we call, 

Then were the precept to believe, 

No better news than ( do and live.' 

If then we won't distinguish here, 

We cloud, but don't the gospel clear ; 

We blend it with the fiery law, 

And all into confusion draw. 

The law of works we introduce, 

As if old merit were in use. 

When men could life by doing won, 

Ev'n though the work by grace were done 

Old Adam, in his ignorance, 

Deriv'd his pow'r of doing hence : 

As all he could was wholly due ; 

So all the working strength he knew, 

Was only from the grace of God, 

Who with such favour did him load : 

Yet was the promse to his act, 

That he might merit by compact. 

No merit but of paction could 

Of men or angels e'er be told ; 

The God-man only was so high 

To merit by condignity. 

Were life now promised to our act, 

Or to our works by paction tack'd ; 

Though God should his assistance grant, 

*Tis still a doing covenant. 

Though heav'n its helping grace should yield, 

Yet merit's still upon the field ; 

We cast the name, yet still -'tis found 

Disclaimed but with a verbal sound. 

If one should borrow tools from you,. 

That he some famous work might do ; 

When once his work is well prepar'd, 

He sure deserves his due reward ; 



300 GOSPEL sonnets. Part VI. 

Yea justly may he claim his due, 

Although he borrowed toois from you : 

Ev*n thus the borrow'd strength of grace 

Can't hinder merit to take place. 

From whence soe'er we borrow pow'rs, 

If life depend on works of ours j 

Or if we make the gospel thus 

In any sort depend on us ; 

We give the law the gospel- place, 

Rewards of debt the room of grace ; 

We mix Heaven's treasures with our trashy 

And magnify corrupted flesh. 

The new and gospel covenant 

No promise to our works will grant j 

But to the doing of our Head, 

And in him to each gospel deed. 

To godliness, which is great gain, 

Promise is said to appertain : 

But know, lest you the gospel mar, 

In whom it is we godly are. 

To him and to his righteousness 

Still primar'ly the promise is ; 

And not ev'n to the gracious deed, 

Save in and through the glorious Head. 

Pray let us here observe the odds, 

How law and grace take counter roads ; 

The law of works no promise spake 

Unto the agent, but the act. 

It primar'ly no promise made 

Unto the person, but the deed ; 

Whate'er the doing person shar'd, 

'Twas for his deed he had reward. 

The law of grace o'erturns the scale, 

And makes the quite reverse prevail :« 

Its promise lights not on the deed, 

But on the doing person's head ; 



Chap. II. ' THE BELIEVER'S PRINCIPLES. 3£i 

Not for his doing, but for this 
Because in Christ his person is : 
Which union to the living Prince, 
His living works and deeds evince. 
Good fruits have promise in this view, 
As union to the branch they shew ; 
To whom the promises pertain, 
In him all yea, and ail Amen. 
Observe, pray ; for if here we err, 
And do not Christ alone prefer, 
But think the promise partly stands 
On our obeying new commands ; 
Th' old £ov'nant-place to works we give* 
Or mingle grace with Do and Live j 
We overcloud the gospel- charms 
And also break our working arms. 
More honour to the law profess, 
But giving more we give it less. 
Its heavy yoke in vain we draw, 
By turning gospel into law. 
We rob grace of its joyful sound, 
And bury Christ in Moses' ground: 
At best we run a legal race 
Upon the field of gospel-grace. 

Paragraph III.-— The Gospel no new Law, but a joy? 
Jul sovnd of Grace and Mercy. 

f AW-Precepts in a gospel mold, 
-*-* We may as gospel- doctrine hold * 
But gospel-calls m legal dress, 
The joyful sound of grace suppress. 
Faith and repentance may be taught, 
And yet no gospel-tidings brought ; 
If as mere duties these we press, 
And not as parts of promis'd bliss* 



$02 GOSPEL SONNETS, Par 

If only precepts we present, 
Though urg'd with strongest argument. 
We leave the wak'ned sinner's hope 
In darkness of despair to grope. 
The man whom legal precepts chace 5 
As yet estrang'd to sov'reign grace, 
Mistaking evangelic charms, 
As if they stood on legal terms, 
Looks to himself, though dead in sin, 
For grounds of faith and hope within ; 
Hence fears and fetters grow and swell, 
Since nought's within but sin and hell. 
But faith, that looks to promis'd grace, 
Clean out of self the soul will chase, 
To Christ for righteousness and strength, 
And find the joyful rest at length* 
Proud flesh and blood will startle here, 
And hardly such report can bear. 
That Heav'n all saving store will give 
To them that work not, but believe. 
Yet not of works, but 'tis the race 
Of faith, that it may be of grace : 
For faith does nothing but agree 
To welcome this salvation free. 
"Come down, Zaccheus, quickly come, 
u Salvation's brought unto thy home ; 
« In vain thou climb'st the legal tree $ 
" Salvation freely comes to thee, 
" Thou dream' st of coming up to terms ; 
" Come down into my saving arms ; 
" Down, down, and get a pardon free, 
" On terms already wrought by me. 
« Behold the blessings of my blood, 
" Bought for thy everlasting good, 
" And freely all to be convey'd 
w Upon the price already paid. 



Cbap. II. TUE BELIEVER^ PRINCIPLES. 30* 

" I know thou hast no good, and see 
« I cannot stand on terms with thee, 
" Whose fall has left, thee nought to claina, 
" Nor aught to boast but sin and shame." 
The law of heavy hard commands 
Confirms the weak'ned sinners bands ; 
But grace proclaims relieving news, 
And scenes of matchless mercy shews* 
No precept clogs the gospel-cali. 
But wherein grace is all in all ; 
No law is here but that of grace, 
Which brings relief in ev'ry case. 

The gospel is the promise fair 

Of grace, all ruins to repair, 

And leaves no sinner room to say, 

" Alas ! this debt I cannot pay j 

tf This grievous yoke I cannot bear, 

<c This high demand I cannot clear." 

Grace stops the mouth of such complaints, 

And store of full supply presents. 

The glorious gospel is (in brief) 

A. sov'reign word of sweet relief •, 

Not clogg'd with cumbersome commands, 

To bind the soul's receiving hands. 

'Tis joyful news of sov'reign grace, 

That reigns in state through righteousness, 

To ransom ftom all threatening woes, 

And answer all commanding do's : 

This gospel comes with help indeed, 

Adapted unto sinners' need : 

These joyful news that suit their case 

Are chariots of his drawing grace : 

>Tis here the Spirit pow'rful rides, 

The fountains of the deep divides j 

The King of glory's splendour shews, < 

And wins the heart with welcome news* 
Cc 



304* GOSPEL SONNETS. Part VI. 

Paragraph IV. — The Gospelfurther described, as a 
bundle of Good News and Gracious Promises. 

rilHE first grand promise forth did break 
-*■ In threats against the tempting snake : 
So may the gospel in commands ; 
Yet nor in threats nor precepts stands : 
But 'tis a doctrine of free grants 
To sinners, that they may be saints : 
A joyful sound of royal gifts, 
To obviate unbelieving shifts ; 
A promise of divine supplies, 
To work all gracious qualities 
In those who, pronest to rebel, 
Are only qualify'd for helL 
Courting vile sinners, ev'n the chief, 
It leaves no cloak' for unbelief ; 
But ev'n on gross Manasseh's calls, 
On Mary Magdalen's and Saul's. 
9 Tis good news of a fountain ope 
For sin and filth ; a door of hope 
For those that lie in blood and gore, 
And of a salve for ev'ry sore. 
Glad news of sight unto the blind j 
Of light unto the darken'd mind ; 
Of healing to the deadly sick ; 
And mercy both to Jew and Greek. 
Good news of gold to poor that lack \ 
Of raiment to the naked back ; 
Of binding to the wounds that smart \ 
And rest unto the weary heart. 
Glad news of freedom to the bound ; 
Of store all losses to refund ; 
Of endless life unto the dead ; 
And present help in time of need. 



Chap. II. the believer's PR1>CCIPLES. SOS 

Good news of heav'n, where angels dwell, 
To those that well deserved hell ; 
Of strength too we*k, for work or war, 
And access near to those afar. 
Glad news of joy to those that weep, 
And tender care of cripple sheep ; . 
Of shelter to the soul pursu'd, 
And cleansing to the hellish-hu'd : 
Of floods to sap the parched ground, 
And streams to run the desert round ; 
Of ransom to the captive caught, 
And harbour to the found'iing yacht : 
Of timely aid to weary groans ; 
Of joy restord to broken bones ; 
Of grace divine to graceless preys, 
And glory to the vile and base : 
Of living water pure, that teems 
On fainting souls refreshing streams ; 
Of genVous wine to cheer the strong, 
And milk to feed the tender young : 
Of saving faith to faithless ones ; 
Of soiVning grace to flinty stones ; 
Of pardon to a guilty crew, 
And mercy free, where wrath was due. 
Good news of welcome, kind to all 
That come to Jesus at his call; 
Yea, news of drawing pow'r, when scant, 
To those that fain would come, and can't. 
Glad news of rich mysterious grace, 
And mercy meeting ev'ry case ; 
Of store immense all voids to fill, 
And free to whomsoever will : 
Of Christ exalted as a Prince, 
Pardons to give and penitence ; 
Of grace o'ercoming stubborn wills, 
And leaping over Bether hills, 



S9G gospel sonnets. Pan VI, 

Faith comes by hearing these reports $ 
Straight to the court of grace resorts, 
And free of mercenary t height, 
Gets royal bounty all for nought. 
Truth's wing within the clammy sea 
Of legal merit cannot fly : 
But, mounting mercy's air apace, 
Soars in the element of grace. 
But as free love the blessing gives 
To him that works not, but believes ; 
So faith, once reaching its desire, 
Works hard by love, but not for hire. 



CHAP. III. 



The Believer's Principles concerning Jus-* 
tificatio?i and Sanctijfcation; their Difference 
and Harmony, 



SECT, I. — - The difference between Justification and 
" Sanctification ; or righteousness imputed and grace 
imparted \ in upwards of 'thirty particulars.* 

"IND Jesus spent his life to spin 
My robe of perfect righteousness j 
But by his Spirit } s Work within. 
He forms my gracious holy dress. 

* Note That (metri causea) Justification is here sometimes ex- 
pressed by the words imputed grace, justifying gr ace, righteous- 
ness, &c~; 'Sawtification by the ?iamcs> imparted grace, grace, 
graces, holiness, sanctity, &c. ; which the judicious will easily 
understand. 



Chap. III. THE believer's principles. 307 

He as a Priest me justifies, 

His blood does roaring conscience still •, 
But as a Kirrg he sanctifies, 

And subjugates my stubborn will. 
He, justifying by his merit, 

Imputes to me his righteousness \ 
But, sanctifying by his Spirit, 

Infuses hi me saving grace. 
My justifying righteousness 

Can merit by condigmty ; 
But nothing with my strongest grace 

Can be deserv'd by naughty me. 
This justifying favour sets 

The guilt of all my sin remote ; 
But sanctifying grace deletes 

The flth and blackness of its blot. 
By virtue of this righteousness, 

Sin can't condemn nor justly brand : 
By virtue of infused grace, 

Anon it ceases to command. 
The righteousness which I enjoy, 

Sin's damning powY will wholly stay j 
And grace imparted will destroy 

Its ruling domineering sway. 
The former is my Judge's act 

Of condonation full and free t 
The latter, his commenced fact, . 

And gradual work advanc'd in me. 
The former's instantaneous, 

The moment that I first believe : 
The latter is, as Heav'n allows, 

Progressive while on earth I live. 
The first will peace to conscience give, 

The last the iilthy heart will cleanse $ 
The first effects a relative* 

The last, a real inward change* 
' Cc3 



SOS GOSPEL sonxets, fart VI. 

Tlie former pardons: every jin, 

And counts me righteous, free* and just : 
The latter quickens grace within, 

And mortifies my sin and lust. 
Imputed grace entitles me 

Unto eternal happiness •, 
Imparted grace will qualify 

That heav'nly kingdom to possess. 
My righteousness is infinite, 

Both subjectively and in kind > 
My holiness most incomplete, 

And daily wavers like the wind. 
So lasting is my outer dress, 

It never wears nor waxes old * 
My inner garb of grace decays 

And fades, if Heav'n do not uphold. 
My righteousness and pardon is 

At once most perfect and complete ± 
But sanctity admits degrees^ 

Does vary, fluctuate, and fleet. 
Hence fix'd, my righteousness divine 

No real change can undergo •, 
But all my graces wax and wan?, 

By various turnings ebb and flow. _ 
I'm by the first as righteous now 

As e'er hereafter I can be : 
The List will to perfection grow* 

Heav'n only is the full degree. 
The first is equals wholly giv'n, 

And still the same in ev'ry saint : 
The last, unequal and unev'n, 

Whilst some enjoy what others want. 
My righteousness divine is fresh, 

For ever pure and heav'nly both \ 
My sanctity is partly jW/, 

And justly term'd a metutrous cloth. 



CJiap.'III. THE BELIEVER'S PRINCIPLES. 30$ 

My righteousness I magnify, 

'Tis my triumphant, lofty flag ; 
But pois'd with tiiis, my sanctity 

Is nothing but a filthy rag. 
I glory in my righteousness, 

And loud extol it with my tongue % 
But all my grace, compar'd with this, 

Lunder-rate as loss and dung. 
By justifying grace, Pm apt 

Of divine favour free to boast \ 
By holiness, Pm partly shap'd 

Into his image I had lost. 
The first to divine justice pays 

A rent to still the furious storm % 
The last to divine holiness 

Instructs me duly fo conform. 
The first does quench the fiery law, 

Its rigid covenant fully stay y 
The last, its rule embroidered draw, 

To deck my heart, and gild my way. 
The subject of my righteousness 

Is Christ himself, my glorious Head $ 
But I the subject am of grace, 

As he supplies my daily need. 
The matter of the former, too, 

Is only Christ's obedience dear ; 
But, lo, his helping me to do 

Is all the work and matter here. 
I on my righteousness rely 

For Heav'n's acceptance free, and win > 
But in this matter must deny 

My grace, ev'n as I do my sin* 
Tho* all my graces precious are, 

Yea, perfect also in desire \ 
They cannot stand before the bar 

Where awful justice is umpire : 



310 GOSPEL SONNETS. Part VI. 

But, in the robe that Christ did spin, 

They are of great and high request ; 
They have acceptance, wrapt within 

My eider brother's bloody vest. 
My righteousness proclaims me great 

And fair, ev'n in the sight of God ; 
But sanctity's my main off-set 

Beforethe gazing world abroad. 
More justify'd I cannot be 

By all my most religious acts 5 
But these increase my sanctity, 

That's still attended with defects. 
My righteousness the safest ark 

'Midst ev'ry threat'ning flood will be * r 
My graces but a leaking bark 

Upon a stormy, raging sea. 
I see, in justifying grace, 

God's love to me does ardent burn ; 
But, by imparted holiness, 

I, grateful, love for love return. 
My righteousness is that which draws 

My thankful heart to this respect ; 
The former, then, is first the cause, 

The latter is the sweet effect. 
Christ is, in justifying me, 

By name, The Lord mj/ righteousness ,- 
But, as he comes to sanctify, 

The Lord my strength and help he is. 
In that I have the patienfs place, 

For there Jehovah's act is all ; 
But in the other I'm, through grace, 

An agent working at his call. 
The Jirst does slavish fear forbid, 

For there his wrath revenging ends $ : 
The last commanJs my filial dread, 
For here paternal ire attends. 



Chap. XII. THE BELIEVER'S PRINCIPLES. Sll 

The former does annul my wo, 

By God's judicial sentence pass'd ; 
The latter makes my graces grow, 

Faith, love, repentance, and the rest* 
The first does divine pard r ning love 

Most freely manifest to me; 
The last makes shining graces prove 

Mine int'rest in the pardon free. 
My soul in justifying grace 

Does full and free acceptance gain ; 
In sanctity I heav'n-ward press, 

By sweet assistance I obtain. 
The first declares I'm free of debt, 

And nothing left for me to pay ; 
The last makes me a debtor yet, 

But helps to pay it ev'ry day. 
My righteousness, with wounds and blood> 

Discharg'd both law and justice* score 3 
Hence, with the debt of gratitude 

I'll charge myself for evermore. 

SECT. II. — The Harmony between Justification and 
Sanctification. 

¥1 E who me decks with righteousness, 
-K-J- With grace will also clothe; 
For glorious Jesus came to bless 

By blood and wa*er both. 
That in his righteousness I trust, 

My sanctity will show ; 
Though graces cannot make me just 3 

They show me to be so. 
All those who, freely justify 'd, 

Are of the pardon'd race, 
Anon are also sanctify'd 

And purify'd by grace > 



512 GOSPEL sonnets. Part IV. 

Where justice stern does justify, 

There holiness is clear'd - 9 
Heav'n's equity and sanctity 

Can never be sever'd. 
Hence, when my soul with pardon deck'd, . 

Perceives no divine ire, 
Then holiness I do affect 

Wish passionate desire. 
His justifying grace is such 

As wafts my soul to heaven : 
I cannot choose but love him much, 

Who much has me forgiv'n. 
The Son of righteousness that brings 

Remission in his rays, 
The healing, in his golden wings 

Of light and heat, conveys. 
Wherever Jesus is a Priest, 

There will he be a King ; 
He that assoils from sin's arrest, 

Won't tolerate its reign. 
The title of a precious grace 

To faith may justly fall, 
Because its open arms embrace 

A precious Christ for all. 
From precious faith a precious strife 

Of precious virtues flow ; 
A precious heart, a precious life, 

And precious duties too. 
Wherever faith does justify, 

It purifies the heart : 
The pardon and the purity 

Join hands and never part* 
The happy state of pardon doth 

An holy life infer : 
In subjects capable of both 

They never sunder'd were. 



Chap. III. THE BELIEVER'S PRINCIPLES. 3i3 

Yet in defence of truth must we 

Distinctly view the twain ; 
That how they differ, how agree, 

We may in truth maintain. 

Two natures in one person dwell, 

Which no division know, 
In our renown'd Immanuel, 

Without confusion too. 

Those that divide them grossly err, 

Though yet distinct they be : 
Those who confusion hence infer, 

Imagine blasphemy. 

Thus righteousness and grace we must 

Nor sunder nor confound 5 
Else holy peace to us is lost, 

And sacred truth we wound. 

While we their proper place maintain^ 

In friendship sweet they dwell - p 
But or to part or blend the twain, 

Are errors hatch'd in hell. 

To separate what God does join, 

Is wicked and profane ; 
To mix and mutilate his coin, 

1$ damnable and vain. 

Though plain distinction must take place,. 

Yet no division here, 
Nor dark confusion ; else the grace 

Of both will disappear. 

Lo ! errors gross on ev'ry side 

Conspire to hurt and wound \ 
Antinomists do them divide, 

And legalists confound. 



314? gospel sonnets. Part VI; 

CHAR IV. 

The Believer's Principles concerning Faitk 
and Sense. 

1. OfTaith and Sense Natural. 

-8.' Of Faith and Sense Spiritual. 

3. The Harmony and Discord between Faith and Sense . 

4«. The Valour and Victories of Faith. 

5. The Heights and Depths of Sense. 

6. Faith and Frames compared } or, Faith building upon 

Sense discovered. 



SECT. I.-— Faith and Sense Natural) compared and 

distinguished. 

X^t^HEN Abra'nvs body, Sarah's womb, 

^ * Were ripe for nothing but the tomb, 
Exceeding old, and wholly dead, 
Unlike to bear the promised seed j 

Faith said, 1 shall an Isaac see : 
No, no, said sense, it cannot be : 
Blind reason, to augment the strife, 
Adds, Hoiycan death engender life ? 

My heart is like a rotten tomb, 
More dead than ever Sarah's womb j 
O ! can the promis'd seed of grace 
Spring forth from such a barren place f 

Sense gazing hut on flinty rocks, 
My hope and expectation chokes : 
But could I, skilPd in Abra'm's art, 
O'erlook my dead and barren heart ; 

And build my hope on nothing less 
Than divine pow'r and faithfulness $ 



Chap. IV. the believer's principles* 815 

Soon would I find him raise up sons 
To Abram, out of stocks and stones/ 
Faith acts as busy boatmen do, 
Who backward look and forward row 5 
It looks intent to things unseen, 
Thinks objects visible too mean. 
Sense thinks it madness thus to. steer, 
And only trusts its eye and ear ; 
Into faith's boat dare thrust its oar, 
And put it further from the shore. 
Faith does alone the promise eye , 
Sense won't believe unless it see ; 
Nor can it trust the divine guide, 
Unless it have both wind and tid£. 
Faith thinks the promise sure and good ; 
Sense doth depend on likelihood j 
Faith ev'n in storms believes the seers \ 
Sense calls all men, ev'n prophets, liars. 

Faith uses means, but rests on none ; 
Sense fails when outward means are gone. 
Trusts more on probabilities, 
Than all the divine promises. 

It rests upon the rusty beam 

Of outward things that hopeful seem 5 
, Let these its support sink or cease, 

No promise then can yield it peace. 

True faith, that's of a divine brood, 

Consults not base with flesh and bloods 

But carnal sense, which, ever errs, 

With carnal reason still confers. 

What ! wont my disciples believe 

That I am risen from the grave ? „ 

Why will they pore on dust and death, ' 

And overlook my quick'ning breath ? 

Why do they slight the word I spake ? 

And rather sorrv counsel take 
Dd 



16 GOSPEL SONNETS. Part VI. 

With death, and with a pow'rful grave, 
If they their captive can relieve ? 
Sense does inquire if tombs of clay 
Can send their guests alive away j 
But faith will hear Jehovah's word, 
Gf life and death the sov'reign Lord. 
Should I give ear to rotten dust, 
Or to the tombs confine my trust ; 
No resurrection can I see, 
For dust that flies into my eye. 
What ! Thomas, can't thou trust so much 
To me, as to thy sight and touch ? 
Won't thou believe till sense be guide, 
And thrust its hand into my side ? 
Where is thy faith, if it depends 
On nothing but thy finger-ends ? 
But bless'd are they the truth who seal 
By faith, yet neither see nor feel. - 



SECT. II. — Faith and Sense Spiritual, compared and 
'distinguished. Where also the Difference between the 
Assurance of Faith , and the Assurance of Sense, 

rjlHE certainty of faith and sense 
A Wide differ in experience ; 
Faith builds upon, Thus saith the Lord: 
Sense views his work> and not his word. 
God's word witltout is faith's resort, 
His work within doth sense support. 
By faith we trust him without * pawns, * Pledges. 
By sense we handle with our hands. 
By faith the word of truth's receiv'd, 
By sense we know we have believ'd. 
Faith's certain by fiducial acts, 
Sense bv its evidential facts. 



. 



:hap. IV. THE BELIXVER'S PRINCIPLES. 5 17 

Faith credits the divine report, 

Sense to his breathings makes resort : 

That on his word of, grace will hing, 

This on his Spirit witnessing. 

By faith I take the Lord for mine, 

By sense I feel his love divine : 

By that I touch his garment hem, 

By this find virtue thence to stream. 

By faith I have mine all on band. 

By sense I have some stock in hand: 

By that some vision is begun, 

By this I some fruit ign win. 

My faith can fend ev'n in exile, 

Sense cannot live without a smile. 

By faith I to his premise fly, 

By sense I in his bosom lie. 

Faith builds upon the truth of God, 

That lies within the promise broad j 

But sense upon the truth of grace 

His hand within my heart did place. 

Thus Christ's the object fahh will eye, 

And faith's the object sense may see : 

Faith keeps the truth of God in view, 

While sense the truth of faith may shew. 

Hence faith's assurance firm can stand, 

When sense's in the deep may strand ; 

And faith's persuasion full prevail, 

When comfortable sense may fail. 

I am assur'd, when faith's in act, 

Though sense a»d feeling both I lack : 

And thus mysterious is my lot, 

I'm oft assur'd when I am not ; 

Oft pierc'd with racking doubts and fears - 

Yet faith these brambles never bears \ 

But unbelief, that cuts my breath, 

And stops the language of my faith. 



18 gospel sonnets. Part VI. 

Clamours of unbelieving fears, 
So frequently disturb mine ears, 
I cannot hear what faith would say, 
Till once the noisy clamours stay ; 
And then wiii fresh experience find. 
When faith gets leave to speak its mind, 
The native language whereof is, 
My Lord is mine^ and I am his. 
Sad doublings compass me about, 
Yet faith jtself could never doubt % 
For, as the sacred volume saith, 
Much doubting argues little faith. 
The doubts, and fears that work my grief, 
Flew not from faith, but unbelief; 
For faith, whene'er it acteth, cures 
The plague of doubts, and me assures: < 
But when mine eye of faith's asleep, 
I dream of drowning in the deep : 
But as befals the sleeping eye, 
Though sight remain, it cannot see ; 
The seeing faculty abides, 
Though sleep from active seeing hides: 
So faith's alluring pow'rs encTure 
Ev'n when it ceases to assure. 
There's still persuasion in my faith, 
Ev'n when I'm fili'd with fears of wrath *, 
The trusting habit still remains, 
Though slumbers hold the act in chains. 
Th' assuring faculty it keeps, 
Ev'n when its eye in darkness sleeps, 
Wrapt up in doubts ; but when it wake.-. 
It rouses up assuring acts. 



Chap. IV. THE BELIEVER'S PRINCIPLES. 31$ 



SECT. Ill — The Harmony and Discord between Faith 
and Sense ; /tow they he/p, and how tliey mar each 
other. 

npHOUGH gallant faith can keep the field, 
-■- When cow'rdly sense will fly or yield \ 
Yet while I view their usual path, 
Sense often stands and falls with faith. 
Faith ushers in sweet peace and joy, 
Which further heartens faith's employ z 
Faith, like the head, and sense the heart, 
Do mutual vigour fresh impart. 
When lively faith and feeling sweet, 
Like dearest darlings, kindly meet, 
They straight each other help and hug 
In loving friendship close and snug. 
Faith gives to sense both life and breath, 
And sense gives joy and strength to faith , 
" O now," 'says faith, " how fond do I 
w In sense's glowing bosom lie !" 
Their mutual kindness then is such, 
That oft they doating too too much 
Embrace each other out of breath : 
As JEsop hugg'd his child to death. 
Faith leaping into sense's arms, 
Allur'd with her bewitching charms, 
In hugging these, lets rashly slip 
The proper object of its gripe : 
Which being lost, behold the thrall ! 
Anon faith loses sense anx^all ; 
Thus unawares cuts sense breath, 
While sense trips up the heels of faith. 
Her charms assuming Jesus' place, 
While faith's lull'd in her soft embrace; 
Dd3 



320 gosp£l -soNNins. Part VI. 

Lo ! soon in dying pleasures wrapt, 
Its living joy away is snapt. 



SECT. IV, — The Valour and Victories of Faith 

T|1?Y faith I unseen Being see 
-"* Forth lower beings call. 
And say to nothing, Let it be y 
And nothing hatches all. 

By faith I know the worlds were made 
By God's great word of might ; 

How soon, Let there be light, he said, 
That moment there was light. 

By faith I soar and force my flight, 
Through all the clouds of sense j 

I see the glories out of sight, 
With brightest evidence. 

By faith I mount the azure sky^ 

And from the lofty sphere, 
The earth a little mote espj T , 

Unworthy of my care. 

By faith I see the unseen things, 

Hid from all mortal eyes ; 
Proud reason stretching all its wings^ 

Beneath, me fluttering lies. 

By faith I build my lasting hope 

On righteousness divine ; 
Nor can I sink with such a prop, 

Whatever storms combine. 

By faith my works, my righteousness. 

And duties all I own 
But loss and dung ; and lay my stress 

On what my Lord has done. 



Chap. IV. THE believer's principles, ?2f 

By faith I overcome the world, 

And all its hurtful charms ; 
I'm in the heav'nly chariot hurl'd 

Through all opposing harms. 
By faith I have a conquering powV 

To tread upon my foes, , 

To triumph in a dying hour, 

And banish all my woes. 
By faith in midst of wrongs I'm right, 

In sad decays I thrive ; | 

In weakness I am strong in might, 

In death I am alive. 
By faith I stand when deep 1 fall, 

In darkness I have light ; 
Nor dare I doubt and question all 

When all is out of sights 
By faith I trust a pardon free,. 

Which puzzles flesh and blood 5 
To think that God can justify, 

Wfatre yet he sees no good. 
By faith I keep my Lord's commands, 

To verify my trust ; 
I purify my heart and hands, 

And mortify my lust. 
By faith my melting soul r.epents, 

When pierced Christ appears ; 
My heart in grateful praises vents, 

Mine eyes in joyful tears. 
By faith I can the mountains vast 

Of sin and guilt remove ; 
And them into the ocean cast, 

The sea of blood and love. 
By faith I see Jehovah high 

Upon a throne of grace ; 
I see him lay his vengeance by, 

And smile in Jesus' face. 



.322 gospel sonnets/ Part VI. 

By faith I hope to see the Sun, 

The light of grace chat lent ; 
His everlasting circles run. 

In glory's firmament. 
By faith I'm more than conqueror, 

Ev'n though I nothing can, 
Because I set Jehovah's pow'r 

Before me in the van. 
By faith I counter-plot my foes, 

Nor need their ambush fear ; 
Because my life-guard also goes 

Behind me in the rear. 
By faith I walk, I run, I fly, 

By faith I suffer thrall ; 
By faith I'm fit to live and die, 

By faith I can do all. 

SECT. Y.—T/ie Heights and Depths of Sense. 

X^jTHEN Heav'n me grants, at certain times, 

' * Amidst a pow'rful gale, 
Sweet liberty to moan my crimes, 

And wand'rings to bewail ; 
Then do I dream my sinful brood, 

Drown'd in the ocean main 
Of chrystal tears and crimson blood, 

Wili never live again. 
I get my foes beneath my feet, 

I bruise the serpent's head ; 
I hope the vict'ry is complete, 

And all my lusts are dead. 
How gladly do I think and say, 

When thus it is with me, 
Sin to my sense is clean away, 

And so shall ever be. 



Chap. IV. THE belif.ver's principles* 32" 

But, ah ! alas, th' ensuing hour 

My lusts arise and swell, 
They rage and reinforce their pow'r, 

With new recruits from hell. 

Tho' I resolv'd and swore, through grace., 

In very solemn terms, 
I never should my lusts embrace, 

Nor yield unto their charms ; 

Yet such deceitful friends they are, 

While I no danger dream, 
I'm snar'd before I am aware, 

And hurry'd down the stream. 

Into the gulph of sin anon, 

I'm plunged head and ears j 
Grace to my sense is wholly gone, 

And I am chain'd in fears \ 

Till straight my Lord with sweet surprise 

Returns to loose ray bands, 
With kind compassion in his eyes, 

And pardon in his hands : 

Yet thus my life is nothing else 

But heav'n and hell by turns ; 
My soul, that now in Goshen dwells, 

Anon in Eygpt mourns. 



SECT. VI. — Faith and Frames compared : cr } Faith 
luilding upon Sense discovered. 



TT^AITH has for its foundation broad 
-*- A stable rock on which I stand, 
The truth and faithfulness of God ; 
All other grounds are sinking simA. 



?>24> GOSPEL sonnets. Part VI. 

My frames and feelings ebb and flow ; 

And when my faith depends on them, 
Jt fleets and staggers to and fro* 

And dies amidst the dying frame. 
That faith is surely most unstay'd, 

Its stagg'ring can't be counted strange, 
That builds its hope of lasting aid 

On things that every moment change. 
But could my faith lay all its load 

On Jesus' everlasting name, 
Upon the righteousness of God, 

And divine truth that's still the same : 
Could I believe what God has spoke, 

Rely on his unchanging love, 
And cease to grasp at fleeting smoke, 

No changes would my mountain move. 
But when, how soon the frame's away, 

And comfortable feelings fail 5 
So soon my faith falls in decay, 

And unbelieving doubts prevail : 
This proves the charge of latent vice, 

And plain my faith's defects may show 
I build the house on thawing ice. 

That tumbles with the melting snow. 
When divine smiles in sight appear, 

And I enjoy the heav'nly gale ; 
"When wind and tide and all is fair, 

I dream my faith shall never fail; 
My heart will false conclusions draw, 

That strong my mountain shall remain, 
That in my faith there is no flaw, 

I'll never never doubt again. 
I think the only rest I take, 

Is God's unfading word aud name ; 
And fancy not my faith so weak, 

As e'er to trust a fading frame. 



Chap. IV. THE BELIEVER'S PRINCIPLES. 325 

But, ah ! by sudden turns I see 

My lying heart's fallacious guilt, 
And that my faith, not firm in me, 

On sinking sand was partly built : 
For, lo ! when warming beams are gone, 

And shadows fall ; alas ! 'tis odd, 
I cannot wait the rising Sun, 

I canaot trust a hiding God. 
So much my faith's assistance seems 

Its life from fading joys to bring, 
That whtn I lose the dying streams* 

I cannot trust the living spring. 
When drops of comfort quickly dry'd, 

And sensible enjoyments fail : 
When cheering apples are deny'd, 

Then doubts, instead of faith, prevail. 
But why, though fruit be snatch'd from rne. 

Should I distrust the glorious Root j 
And still affront the standing Tree, 

By trusting more to falling fruit ? 
The smallest trials may evince 

My faith unfit to stand the shock, 
That more depends on fleeting sense, 

Than on the fix'd eternal Rock. 
The safest ark, wh«n floods arise, 

Is stable truth that changes not : 
How weak V my faith, that more relies 

On feeble sense's floating boat ! 
For when the fleeting frame is gone, 

I straight my state in question call ; 
I droop and sink in deeps anon, 

As if my frame were all in all. 
But though I miss the pleasing gale, 

And Heav'n withdraw the charming glance j 
Unless Jehovah's rath can fail, 

My faith may keep it countenance. 



326 gospel sonnets. Part VI. 

The frame of nature shall decay, 

Time-changes break her rusty chains \ 
Yea, heav'n and earth shall pass away \ 

But faith's foundation firm remains. 
Heav'n's promises so fix'dly stand, 

Engrav'd with an immortal pen, 
In great ImmanueVs mighty hand, 

AH hell's attempts to raze are vain. 
Did faith with none but truth advise, 

My steady soul would move no more 5 
Than stable hills when tempests rise, 

Or solid rocks when billows roar. 
But when my faith the counsel hears 

Of present sense and reason blind, 
My wav'ring spirit then appears 

A feather toss'd with ev'ry wind. 
Lame legs of faith unequal crook : 

Thus mine, alas ! uneven stand, 
Else I would trust my stable Rock, 

Not fading frames and feeble sand. 
I would, when dying comforts fly, 

As much as when they present were, 
Upon my living joy rely. 

Help, Lord, for here I daily err. 



CHAP. V. 

The Believer's Principles concerning 
Heaven and Earth. 

SECT. I. — The Work and Contention of Heaven. 

IN heav'nly choirs a question rose, 
That stirr'd up strife will never close, 



Chap. V. THE BELIEVER'S PRINCIPLES. 327 

What rank of all the ransora'd race 
Owes highest praise to sov 'reign grace ? 
Babes thither caught from womb and breast, 
Claim'd j-ight to sing above the rest ; 
Because they found the happy shore 
They never saw nor sought before. 
Those that arrive at riper age 
Before they left the dusky stage, 
Thought grace deserv'd yet higher praise, 
That wash'd the blots of num'rous days. 
Anon the war more close began, 
What praising harp should lead the van ? 
And which of grace's heav'nly peers 
Was deepest run in her arrears ? 
« 'Tis I (said one,) 'bove all my race, 
« Am debtor chief to glorious grace 5 " 
" Nay, (said another,) hark, I trow, 
cc I'm more oblig'd to grace than you." 
" Stay, (said a third,) I deepest share 
« In owing praise beyond compare : 
" The chief of sinners, you'll allow, 
« Must be the chief of singers now." 
" Hold (said a fourth,) There protest 
u My praises must outvie the best 5 
u For Fm of all the human race 
" The highest miracle of grace," 
" Stop, (said a fifth,) these notes forbear, 
" Lo, I'm the greatest wonder here \ 
" Fpr I of all the race that fell, 
m Deserv'd the lowest place in hell." 
A soul that higher yet aspir'd, 
With equal love to Jesus fir'd, 
" 'Tis mine to sing the highest notes 
" To love, that wash'd the foulest blots.'* 
« Ho, (cry 'd a mate,) 'tis mine I'll prove, 
« Who sinn'd in spite of light and love, 
Ee 



328 gospel sonnets. Part VI. 

" To sound his praise with lpudest bell, 
ft That sav'd me from the lowest hell. 
« Come, come, (said one), Til hold the plea, 
" That highest praise is due by me ; 
« For mine, of all the sav'd by grace, 
« Was the most dreadful, desperate case." 
Another rising at his side, 
As fond of praise, and free of pride, 
Cry'd, " Pray give place, for I defy, 
u That you should owe more praise than I : 
« I'll yield to none in this debate ; 
« I'm run so deep in grace's debt, 
" That sure I am, I boldly can 
*« Compare with all the heav'nly clan." 
Quick o'er their heads a trump awoke, 
«« Your songs my very heart have spoke j 
€f But ev'ry note you here propale, 
« Belongs to me beyond you all." 
The list'ning millions round about 
With sweet resentment loudly shout ; 
" What voice is this, comparing notes, 
« That to their song chief place allots ? 
<c We can't allow of such a sound, 
«* That you alone have highest ground 
«' To sing the royalties of grace ; 
«< We claim the same adoring place." 
What ! will no rival-singer yield 
He has a match upon the field ? 
«* Come, then, and let us all agree 
« To praise upon the highest key." 
Then jointly all the harpers round 
In mind unite with solemn sound, 
And strokes upon the highest string 
Made all the heav'nly arches ring : 
Ring lowtl with hallelujahs high, 
To Him that sen); his Son to die ;. 



Chap. V. THE BELIEVER'S PfclNCIfLES. 329 

And to the worthy Lamb of God, 
That lov*d and washed them in his blood. 
Free grace was sovereign empress crown'd 
In pomp, with joyful shouts around ; 
Assisting angels clapp'd their wings, 
And sounded grace on all their strings. 
The emulation round the throne 
Made prostrate hosts (who ev'ry one 
The humblest place their right avow) 
Strive who should give the lowest bow. 
The next contention without vice 
Among the birds of paradise, 
Made every glorious warbling throat 
Strive who sliould raise the highest note. 
Thus in sweet holy, humble strife, 
Along their endless, joyful life, 
Of Jesus all the harpers rove, 
And sing the wonders of his love. 
Their discord makes them all unite 
In raptures most divinely sweet ; 
So great the song, so grave the base, 
Melodious music fills the place. 



SECT. U.-*-jEarth despicabUy Heaven desirable. 



HPHERE's nothing round the spacious earth 
-*-■ To suit my vast desires ; 
To more refin'd and solid mirth 
My boundless thought aspires. 
Fain would I leave this mournful place, 

This music dull, where none 
But heavy notes have any grac.e, 
And mirth accents the moan* 
Ee 2 



S3Q gospel sonnets. Part VI. 

Where troubles tread upon reliefs, 

New woes>with older blend ; 
,When roiling storms and circling griefs 

Run round without an end : 

•" 

Where waters wrestling with the stones, 

Do fight themselves to foam, 
And holi6w clouds, with thund'ring groans, 

Discharge their pregnant womb : 
Where eagles mounting meet with rubs 

That dash them from the sky : 
And cedars shrinking into shrubs. 

In ruin prostrate lie : 
Where sin, the author of turmoils, 

The cause of death and hell, 
The one thing foul that all things foils, 

Does most befriended dwell. 
The purchaser of night and woe. 

The forfeiture of day, 
The debt that ev'ry man did owe, 

But only God could pay. 
Bewitched -ill, indors'd with hope, 

Subscribed with despair : 
Ugly in death when eyes are ope, 

Though life may paint it fair. 
Small wonder that I droop alone 

In such a doleful place : 
When lo, my dearest friend is gone, 

My father hides his face, 
And though in words I seem to show 

The fawning poet's stile, 
Yet is my plaint no feigned woe ; 

, I languish in exile. 
I long to share the happiness 

Of that triumphant throng, 
That swim in seas of boundless bliss 

Eternity along. 



Chap. V. thebeliiver's principles. ^31 

When but in drops here by the way 

Free love distils itself, 
I pour contempt on, hills of prey, 

And heaps of worldly pelf. 
To be amidst my'little joys, 

Thrones, sceptres, crowns, and kings, 
Are nothing else but little toys, 

And despicable things. 
Down with disdain earth's pomp I trust, 

Bid tempting wealth away : 
Heaven is not made ofye/Uw dusty 

Nor bliss cf gliifring clay. 
Sweet was the hour I freedom felt 

To call my Jesus mine ; 
To see his smiling face, and melt 

In pleasures all divine. 
Let fools an heaven of shades pursue, 

But I for substance am: 
The heaven I seek is likeness to 

And vision of the Lamb. 
The worthy Lamb with glory crown' d 

In his august abode ; 
Inthron'd sublime, and deck'd around 

With all the pomp of God. 
I long to join the saints above, 

Who j orown'd with glorious bays, 
Through radiant files of angels move, 

And rival them in praise : 
In praise to JAH, the God of love, 

The fair incarnate Son, 
The holy co- eternal Dove, 

The good, the great Three- one. 
In hope to ^sing without a sob 

The anthem ever new, 
I gladly bid the dusty globe, 

And vain delights, Adieu. 



THE 

FOLLOWING POEM, 

THE SECOND PART OF WHICH WAS WROTE BY MR ERSKINE, 

Is here inserted, as a proper Subject of Meditation 
to Smokers of Tobacco. 

SMOKING- SPIRITUALIZED, 

IN TWO PARTS. 

The First Part being an old Meditation upon Smoking 

Tobacco \ the Second a new Addition to it, 

or Improvement of it. 



Part I. 



THIS Indian weed now withered quite, 
Though green at noon, cut down at night* 
Shews thy decay ; 
All flesh is hay. 
Thus think, and smoke tobacco. 

The pipe, so lily-like and weak, 
Does this thy mortal state bespeak* 
Thou art ev'n such, 
Gone with a touch. 
Thus think, and smoke tobacco. 

And when the smoke ascends on high, 
Then thou behold'st the vanity 

Of worldly stuff, 

Gone with a puff. 
Thus thiakj and smoke tobacco. 



SMOKING SPIRITUALIZE©. $35 

And when the pipe grows foul within, 
Think on thy soul defiPd with sin ; 

For then the fire 

It does require. 
Thus think, and smoke tobacco. 

And seest the ashes cast away ; 
Then to thyself thou mayest say, 

That to the dust > 

Return thou must. 
Thus think, and smoke tobacco. 



part II. 



Was this small plant for thee cut down ? 
So was the Plant of Great Renown ; 
Which mercy sends 

m For nobler ends. 

Thus think, and smoke tobacco. 

Doth juice medicinal proceed 

From such a naughty, foreign weed ? 

Then what's ..the pow'r 

Of Jesse's Flow'r ? 
Thus think, and smoke tobacco. 

The promise, like the pipe, inlays, 
And by the mouth of faith conveys 

What virtue flows 

From Sharon's Ro*e. 
Thus think, and smoke tobacoe* 



334 . SMOKING SPIRITUALIZED. 

In vain th' unlighted pipe you blow ; 
Your pains in outward means are so. 

Till heav'nly fire 

Your hearts inspire. 
Thus think, and smoke tobacco. 

The smoke, like burning incense, tow'rs ; 
So should a praying heart of yours, 

With ardent cries 

Surmount the skies. 
Thus think, and smoke tobacco. 



FINIS. 



